Max Verstappen officially crowned 2023 F1 champion at FIA prize-giving gala
Max Verstappen has been officially crowned 2023 F1 champion after being presented with the world drivers’ trophy at the FIA’s end of season prize-giving gala in Baku.
Verstappen clinched his third consecutive F1 drivers’ crown with ease, storming to 19 wins in 22 races in 2023.
His dominant season broke a plethora of records as he moved into third-place in the all-time F1 winners list.
Verstappen was present in Baku to collect the world championship trophy, as was team boss Christian Horner.
Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez collected his award for finishing runner-up in F1 2023, while Lewis Hamilton made his first FIA prize-giving appearance since 2020 after finishing third (he decided not to attend 2021).
Speaking ahead of the trophy presentation, Verstappen reflected on the season: “This season, we’ve won a lot as a team, but it's also been really enjoyable to work with everyone inside the team.
“Of course, once you are winning a few in a row you want to keep that momentum going, the pressure is always on, you want to do well. I was never thinking about breaking records, just trying to be the best I could be during a race weekend, and enjoy it as well because you know that these kind of moments don’t come along that often.
“It was a very good year.”
He will look to defend his title when the 2024 F1 season kicks off on March 2 in Bahrain.
