Verstappen up against Djokovic, Lewandowski and Brady in bid to get elusive sporting award

2021 World Champion Max Verstappen gave his thanks to the “Orange Army” after his Laureus Award nomination.

Verstappen became the third F1 driver after Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton to earn a nomination for the Laureus global sportsman of the year award. He made the shortlist alongside high-profile athletes from all the major sports in the world, and has to beat them all in the votes if he is to win.

The Dutchman is up against some elite sportspeople like Novak Djokovic (tennis), Caeleb Dressel (swimming), Eliud Kipchoge (long-distance running), Robert Lewandowski (football) and recently-retired NFL superstar Tom Brady.

Nevertheless, Verstappen gave his thanks to the “Orange Army” after his Laureus Award nomination, saying it was a great recognition of his achievements and hard work.

In a statement for his website as quoted by GP Fans, the Red Bull driver said, “First of all, a big thank you to the media for the nomination of the Laureus Sportsman of the Year Award.

Verstappen thanks "Orange Army" after Laureus nomination
Verstappen (pictured) at the F1 Prizegiving gala. Source: gpfans.com

“It’s great to be nominated for this award after such an intense season. The biggest thank you goes to my team Red Bull Racing who, together with Honda, gave me a winning car.

“As a team, we fought for years to improve and close the gap, and we finally succeeded. It’s fantastic to be world champion. I also want to say a huge thank you to the fans who support me, because it’s great to see the Orange Army around the world.”

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Red Bull won the world championship through Verstappen’s exploits in 2021. He fended off the challenge of seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton by winning it on the last lap of the last race of the season.

With the Dutchman bringing success to his team and being their product through and through, a retention is the next step. His contract expires soon, and the team is doing everything to tie him down to a new one.

Read more: Yamamoto appointed consultant for Red Bull – “It’s a bridge between Red Bull and Japan”

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