For the second time, Max Verstappen is nominated for a Laureus Award, this time as “Sportsman of the Year” – Mercedes has a chance to win the prize for “Team of the Year ”
Formula 1 World Champion Max Verstappen is on the list of nominees for this year’s Laureus Awards. In the category “Sportsman of the Year” he is competing with Tom Brady (NFL), Celeb Dressel (swimming), Robert Lewandowski (football), Eliud Kipchoge (athletics) and Novak Djokovic (tennis).
It is the second nomination for Verstappen, who crowned himself the first Dutch Formula 1 champion in 2021 and ended a drought for Red Bull that dates back to 2013. He was nominated for the Laureus Breakthrough of the Year Award in 2016, but lost out to golfer Jordan Spieth.
Verstappen’s title rival Lewis Hamilton did not receive a nomination this year. He has won three awards in the past: Breakthrough of the Year in 2008, Sportsman of the Year in 2020 (shared with footballer Lionel Messi) and Athlete Advocate last year for his social commitment.
Hamilton’s Mercedes team, meanwhile, is also nominated this year after celebrating an eighth consecutive constructors’ title in 2021. In 2018, the team won the Team of the Year award. It has been nominated in this category since 2015.
🏆 @Max33Verstappen won his first @F1 Championship in 2021 after beating seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton in the final Grand Prix of the season in Abu Dhabi
The @redbullracing driver had ten Grand Prix wins during the year and a record 18 podium finishes 👏 pic.twitter.com/rr3L65sUhi
— Laureus (@LaureusSport) February 2, 2022
This year, Mercedes faces competition from Women’s Champions League winners Barcelona Femeni, NBA champions Milwaukee Bucks and European champions Italy.
The Laureus World Sports Awards were first presented in 2000. This year’s ceremony will be held virtually in April. In Formula 1, Jenson Button, Daniel Ricciardo and Nico Rosberg have also already received Laureus trophies.