Max Verstappen

PRESENTED BY PIRELLI INTERNATIONAL RACING DRIVER OF THE YEAR

“It’s been a very intense year, so all the support I got was amazing”

Max Verstappen’s charge to his maiden Formula 1 title win in

2021 was recognised by the Autosport fans when he was named International Racing Driver of the Year for the first time. Verstappen claimed the championship with a last-lap pass on Lewis Hamilton in Abu Dhabi following a titanic seasonlong battle. Verstappen finished the year with 10 wins and 18 podiums to end Red Bull’s eight-year wait for a title.

Via video message, Verstappen said: “I want to say a big thank you to all the fans for voting for me as International Racing Driver of the Year. The ultimate goal was of course to win the world championship, so now we’ve achieved that. It’s something truly incredible, but I’m also looking forward to this year again.”

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner accepted the award on Verstappen’s behalf, and called his performances last year “outstanding”.

“It was like a heavyweight boxing match from Bahrain the first race until the last race in Abu Dhabi,” Horner said. “Max led more laps than all other drivers combined, won more races than any other driver last year, and is fully deserving of everything he achieved.”