Max Verstappen hailed his third Formula One world title as the finest of his career – and vowed to celebrate by downing a few sparkling waters. The 26-year-old Dutchman has emulated Sir Jackie Stewart and Ayrton Senna after being crowned a triple world champion with six grands prix still remaining – equalling Michael Schumacher’s 21-year-old record. Red Bull’s Verstappen has dominated Formula One since he beat Lewis Hamilton to clinch his maiden championship at the deeply controversial season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in 2021. And his coronation of this most one-sided of campaigns was confirmed on lap 11 of 19 of a frantic sprint race when Sergio Perez in the other Red Bull crashed out under the floodlights of the Lusail International Circuit. Verstappen has failed to win just three of the 16 rounds so far this season, and he became the first driver in history to win 10 consecutive races following a remarkable unbeaten streak from the opening weekend of May in Miami to the Italian Grand Prix on September 3. Verstappen’s title parade will start here at 8pm local time (6pm BST) when the lights go out on Sunday’s 57-lap Grand Prix. “This championship is the best one,” said Verstappen. “The first one was the most emotional because that is when my dreams were fulfilled. But this has been my best year in terms of performance. “I am the most proud of this one because of how consistent I have been. I will have quite a few sparkling waters tonight, but I will be here tomorrow.” Verstappen’s championship-winning campaign has been one largely led from the front but the Dutchman dropped from third to fifth at the end of the opening lap of Saturday’s sprint race. After being usurped by Mercedes’ George Russell and Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc off the line, Verstappen momentarily got out of shape at the opening right-hander, with Fernando Alonso nibbling at the back of his machine. Verstappen survived, and then slung his Red Bull underneath Lando Norris for fifth. Two safety cars followed as Liam Lawson and Logan Sargeant beached their respective cars and Verstappen – on the slower, but more durable, medium rubber – set about his comeback. First to be swatted aside was Leclerc on the main straight on lap nine, with Sainz the Dutchman’s next victim on the following lap. On lap 11, the championship was officially over. Esteban Ocon attempted to overtake Nico Hulkenberg on the inside of the second corner, and with Perez to the right of the Haas driver, Ocon lost control of his Alpine and took the Red Bull with him. It summed up the Mexican’s woefully disappointing campaign. Perez shared two wins apiece with Verstappen from the opening four fixtures but his demise has been dramatic. He is 177 points – the equivalent of more than seven victories – behind the man driving identical machinery. On lap 16, Verstappen eased past Russell with Oscar Piastri 2.6 seconds up the road. However, the impressive McLaren rookie could not be caught as he claimed his first win in F1. It did not matter for Verstappen who could celebrate becoming just the 11th driver to win the title on more than two occasions. “Max, you are a three-time world champion,” roared Red Bull’s jubilant team principal Christian Horner over the radio. “That is unbelievable. It has been an incredible year for you.” Verstappen, who starts on pole on Sunday, could claim the 49th win of his career with only Hamilton (103 victories), Schumacher (91), Sebastian Vettel (53) and Alain Prost (51) ahead of him. Verstappen turned 26 only last week, and the prospect of emulating the seven championships shared by Hamilton and Schumacher is surely possible. “I am enjoying the moment and hopefully we will keep this momentum going for a while,” said Verstappen, whose deal with Red Bull runs until 2028. “It is different to other sports where you can set out targets and if I keep in good shape then these things are possible. “But in F1 it doesn’t always work like that. It depends on the package. I have quite a few more years in me to operate at my best but we will see how long that is. It is more about how long I want to be here. “I live in the moment and I have achieved way more than I ever thought was possible.” Read More Angry Lance Stroll shoves personal trainer and storms out of interview Max Verstappen fastest in Qatar practice as he closes in on world championship Fernando Alonso lauds Max Verstappen as best F1 driver since Michael Schumacher Fernando Alonso lauds Max Verstappen as best F1 driver since Michael Schumacher F1 Qatar Grand Prix LIVE: Sprint race updates and results at Lusail Max Verstappen hails third F1 world title as his best

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Nyck de Vries admits his exit from AlphaTauri “hurts” after speaking out for the first time since losing his seat in Formula 1. The Dutch driver, who impressed so highly in finishing ninth last year at Monza for Williams, struggled throughout the first 10 races of the 2023 season. Alongside Logan Sargeant at Williams, De Vries was the only driver yet to score a point and has been under increasing pressure from Red Bull chief Helmut Marko. And with Marko dropping De Vries, Daniel Ricciardo has stepped in to replace the Dutchman ahead of the Hungarian Grand Prix this weekend and for the remainder of the 2023 season. “Of course it hurts the F1 chance I dreamed of for so long ended prematurely,” the 28-year-old said on Instagram. “After recent events, I decided to take some time for myself away from social media, which I will continue to do. I would like to thank Red Bull and Scuderia AlphaTauri for the opportunity to live my dream. “But life is not a destination, it’s a journey, and sometimes you have to take the hard road to get where you want to be. “I am grateful for our privileged lives, proud of our journey and my family. This is just another experience, we move on and look forward to the next chapter.” De Vries also addressed media articles in the past week purporting quotes from the axed driver, which he implied are not accurate given he hasn’t spoken to the press. “I received some interesting articles about things I’ve said in the last week,” he added. “For clarity, I haven’t spoken to any media and for the time being I’ll enjoy some me time. Wishing you all a nice summer.” De Vries, the 2019 F2 champion and 2021 Formula E champion, was on Mercedes’ books as a test driver before switching to Red Bull for his move to AlphaTauri. Read More Daniel Ricciardo is back - and this time he wants to go out on top Red Bull has handed Daniel Ricciardo the first step to Sergio Perez’s seat Daniel Ricciardo is back - and this time he wants to go out on top Daniel Ricciardo: I thought I’d never race in F1 again Sebastian Vettel hints at return to F1: ‘I have some ideas’

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When you’re embarking on a trip, planning what outfit to wear while in transit may very well be the last thing on your mind. Sure, it’s understandable to spend all your time deliberating the best summer dresses for your vacation OOTD, or scouring the internet for cute low-back swimsuits to wear at the beach, but we firmly believe that a comfy yet chic travel outfit should be higher on your priority list.