Max Verstappen is on top of the world.- Over the weekend, Verstappen took maximum points at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix in Italy.
Max Verstappen had himself quite a weekend.
Over three days of racing in Italy, the Dutch driver earned maximum points at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, winning both the sprint race on Saturday and the big race on Sunday.
Verstappen also took home the extra point that comes with fastest lap of the race, meaning he left Imola with a whopping 34 points towards the standings, significantly cutting down his deficit to Ferrari's Charles Leclerc.
Making the victory all the sweeter was the fact that Verstappen got to lap archrival Lewis Hamilton during the race, as the Mercedes drvier continued his troubled start to the season.
—Puma (@Pumadeltuiter) April 24, 2022
But Verstappen's wins didn't stop in Italy.
Later on Sunday, Verstappen was named Laureus World Sportsman of the Year, joining the likes of Tiger Woods, Usain Bolt, and Roger Federer. Verstappen is the fourth
Verstappen's status as Sportsman of the Year comes after his thrilling finish to the 2021 Formula One season, which saw him edge out Hamilton to win the World Championship.
"I was very happy, of course, but it was a lot of hard work and years of preparation," Verstappen said after winning the award. "I'm incredibly proud. Since I was a little kid I dreamt of being on the top step and winning the championship. I said to my dad [former Formula 1 driver Jos Verstappen], 'We did it, this is what we worked for all these years and now we are here, the two of us, all the memories, all the years of traveling all over Europe, going for that one goal and we achieved it.'"
—Laureus (@LaureusSport) April 24, 2022
Verstappen beat out a loaded roster of fellow nominees for the award, including Tom Brady, Caeleb Dressel, and Novak Djokovic.
Jamaican sprinter Elaine Thompson-Herah was named Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year after taking home three gold medals at the Tokyo Olympics.