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Max Verstappen has picked up another accolade this year as NOS, a public broadcaster in the Netherlands, gave him the 'Dutch Sportsman of the year' award.
The Red Bull driver has been getting quite a few awards at the end of the year. He was awarded the 'International driver of the Year' by Autosport for a spectacular season as he became a two-time world champion.
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The Red Bull driver has been on a roll ever since he got his hands on a car that was capable of challenging for the title. Since then, he has not looked back. Max Verstappen was involved in an intense battle for the title with Lewis Hamilton last season, a battle that he won on the last lap of the season.
The Dutchman returned from a 46-point deficit to outclass Charles Leclerc to secure his second title. Max Verstappen also broke the record for the most wins in a season held by Sebastian Vettel and Michael Schumacher (13); picking up a total of 15 wins in the season.
Verstappen took his driving to a completely different level and broke records almost for fun in the 2022 F1 season.
Max Verstappen could not afford to make any mistakes this season
Speaking during the FIA gala, Verstappen reflected on the point in the season when he was 46 points behind Charles Leclerc. The Red Bull driver suffered two DNFs (Did Not Finish) in three races, and things weren't looking good.
Max Verstappen revealed that at that point in time, he realized he could not make any mistakes:
“You know when you have to fight for a title, you need to score points [in] basically every race. That’s why at the beginning of the year, it was very tough to have these DNFs. I knew from that point onwards I could not afford any mistakes from my side. You always try to be as clear as you can be and try to be as perfect as you can every single weekend. That’s what I try to demand from myself every time I jump into the car.”
Verstappen might be in for a bigger battle in 2023, with both Mercedes and Ferrari expected to challenge for the championship. Moreover, Red Bull is expected to be handicapped by the penalty for a cost cap breach in 2021.
