At the Laureus World Sports Awards, Max Verstappen was named Sportsman of the Year, while the McLaren team was nominated in the Team of the Year category.
Verstappen was already crowned in 2022, winning this prestigious award as a two-time F1 world champion. This year, however, the Red Bull driver faces serious competition, with tennis player Carlos Alcaraz and two-time Olympic pole vaulter Armand Duplantis also among the nominees.
This isn't the only F1-related connection to the Laureus, as the rise of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri last year meant McLaren won the F1 Constructors' Championship for the first time since 1998. That success also earned a nomination, but the opposition here is no small feat either, with the Spanish national football team, the Real Madrid players, the NBA team Boston Celtics, and the United States men's national basketball team all vying for the title.
It will now be significantly more difficult for McLaren to claim victory, as the last Formula 1 team to win this honor did so in 2018 after four consecutive constructors' titles. I don't think I need to introduce them. On April 21, 2025, we'll see whether Norris and Co. can follow in Mercedes' footsteps.
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