Max Verstappen won his first world championship in 2021 after an intense fight against Lewis Hamilton and thanks to the result obtained he was nominated for “sportsman of the year” at the prestigious Laureus awards. The Dutchman claimed his second title after winning 15 of 22 races in the 2022 season and beating Charles Leclerc.
The Formula 1 driver will have to contend for the Laureus award with five other nominees, including football’s biggest stars Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappé, teammates in Paris Saint-Germain. The 35-year-old Argentine led his national team to win the World Cup in Qatar, while the Frenchman shone in the final by scoring three goals, even though the transalpine national team lost on penalties.
In addition to them, among the possible winners is Rafael Nadal, candidate after his victory at the Australian Open and the conquest of the 14th Roland Garros, after overcoming several injuries that seemed to have put an end to his performance at the highest level in tennis.
Pole vault phenom Mondo Duplantis is another candidate after winning the world title in 2022 with another record, clearing the 6.21m mark. He has also established himself as the Swedish-American athlete of the moment. Rounding out the list is NBA star Stephen Curry, chosen as Finals MVP for helping the Golden State Warriors win against the Boston Celtics.
In addition to Max Verstappen, the other Formula 1 drivers who won the award for best sportsman of the year before him were Michael Schumacher, in 2002 and 2004, and Sebastian Vettel, in 2014. Red Bull is also nominated for best team of the year, together with the Argentine national team and the English women’s team. Also nominated were the French men’s national rugby union team, the Golden State Warriors and Real Madrid.
MotoGP world champion Francesco Bagnaia, Ducati Team
Photo by: MotoGP
MotoGP world champion Pecco Bagnaia is also among the candidates to win a Laureus award, specifically as “best comeback of the year” after recovering 91 points in the 2022 season. He will have to compete for the prize with Danish footballer Christian Eriksen, who returned at a very high level after suffering a cardiac arrest during a match at the 2021 European Championships. Other nominees are golf icon Tiger Woods, cycling world champion Annemiek van Vleuten, 5000m world champion Jakob Ingebrigtsen and player NBA Klay Thompson.
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