- Red Bull’s Max Verstappen has wrapped up his third consecutive world title
- The drivers’ championship leader needed to finish just sixth or above in Qatar
- His triumph was confirmed after closest rival Sergio Perez span out the race
Max Verstappen has officially secured his third consecutive Formula One world title.
The rampant Red Bull superstar has proven untouchable this year and confirmed his dominance once and for all after Sergio Perez crashed out of the Qatar sprint race.
Verstappen needed to finish at least sixth to add another championship trophy to his tally but was nudged over the line following an incident involving Perez.
Perez’s two early victories in Saudi Arabia and Azerbaijan and Carlos Sainz’s win in Singapore remain the only blots on Verstappen’s masterful record.
He now trails his team-mate by a staggering gap totalling over 180 points.
Verstappen has won 13 races to date this year, with Perez and Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz the only other drivers to take the chequered flag first.
He also set a new record for racking up 10 consecutive victories earlier in the campaign, surpassing the legendary Michael Schumacher in the process.
His triumph leaves Perez and Lewis Hamilton locked in a tussle over the runner-up position, with Fernando Alonso holding an outside chance of a late push.
The title was decided eight laps from the end of the sprint in Lusail after Perez was sent into an unfortunate spin following a tangle involving Esteban Ocon.
More to follow.
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