Max Verstappen was left in tears after rewatching his championship win, with the Dutchman getting emotional while doing so.
Verstappen clinched his first drivers’ title in dramatic fashion. He overtook his championship rival on the final lap of the final race of the season to win the title by eight points and make history.
The Dutchman became the first Red Bull driver since Sebastian Vettel to become champion. In his bid for the title, he also smashed numerous records, cementing his claim to have raced an all-time great season.
Subsequently, Verstappen was left in tears after rewatching his championship win.
While speaking to Dutch outlet Ziggo Sport, Verstappen could be seen fighting back happy tears as he watched footage of him on his knees after his victory.
There were also clips of his embrace with Hamilton, his celebration with his father and his interaction with Hamilton’s father Anthony.
“These are very special moments that you will never forget in your life, really beautiful,” he said.
“With the help of (Sergio) Checo Perez, I won the world championship, it’s that simple. He brought me back into the race and I am very grateful to him for that.”
Speaking about what he did after he became champion, the 24-year-old smiled and said, “First I partied a lot and then slept for four hours.”
Full praise
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner heaped praise on his driver and for the season he contested.
“It’s been an incredible year and when you look back at the season as a whole, 22 races, I think the biggest season Formula One has ever had and from the first race in Bahrain it has been so competitive,” he said.
“There’s been on average probably 0.1, 0.2s between the two drivers throughout the season and I think the way that Max has driven throughout the year, what’s really stood out for me is in moments of adversity where he’s just kept his head down.
“He’s kept believing, he’s kept pushing, he’s kept driving the team forward and we’ve known every time he’s got in the car he’s given it 110 per cent. That lifts everybody around them.”
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