Max Verstappen clinched his third consecutive Formula One points championship Saturday with a second-place finish in the Qatar Grand Prix sprint race.
While Oscar Piastri won the sprint, Verstappen was assured of his third straight title when Red Bull Racing teammate Sergio Pérez crashed out on the 11th of 19 laps.
Pérez entered the race second in the points standings behind Verstappen, and he needed to finish in the top three to have any chance of prolonging Verstappen's coronation as a three-time champ.
Entering this weekend, Verstappen had dominated the competition during the 2023 season, winning 13 of the 16 grand prix races. He also finished second twice and fifth once.
Pérez won in Saudi Arabia and Azerbaijan earlier this season, and the only other driver to win a grand prix this season is Carlos Sainz Jr.
Verstappen, who is a 26-year-old driver from the Netherlands, won his first points title in 2021, breaking Lewis Hamilton's streak of four consecutive titles.
After winning 10 races that season, Verstappen was even more of a force last season, winning 15 races en route to his second straight title.
Since 1950, Verstappen is only the fifth different driver to have won three or more F1 points titles in a row, joining Juan Manuel Fangio, Michael Schumacher, Sebastian Vettel and Hamilton.
Although Verstappen has already clinched his title, there are still six grand prix races remaining on the 2023 F1 schedule.
The Qatar Grand Prix will take place Sunday at the Lusail International Circuit in Lusail, Qatar, followed by races in the United States, Mexico, Brazil and Abu Dhabi.
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