Max Verstappen nominated for the 2023 Laureus World Sportsman Award alongside Lionel Messi, Rafael Nadal, and Steph Curry

Max Verstappen was the winner of the Laureus World Sportsman award in 2022.

Max Verstappen nominated for the 2023 Laureus World Sportsman Award alongside Lionel Messi, Rafael Nadal, and Steph Curry

Steph Curry, Rafael Nadal, Max Verstappen, and Lionel Messi

The Laureus World Sports Awards are one of the most prestigious in the sporting world. Every year millions of fans await the stars who clinch the titles. The Laureus World Sportsman of the Year award, in particular, garners huge interest. Max Verstappen will be looking to win this award for the second year running after the Dutchman emerged victorious in 2022.

Max Verstappen is one of the 6 nominees for what many consider the biggest sporting award. The other names include heavyweights such as Argentina’s Lionel Messi and France’s Kylian Mbappe from the world of Football. The Tennis icon Rafael Nadal is also on this list alongside American Basketball legend Steph Curry. Swedish pole vault star Mondo Duplantis rounds up the nominations.

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The Dutchman will be delighted to receive this award for a second time

The Laureus World Sportsman Award was first given in the year 2000. The awards are presented by the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation since its inception. Tiger Woods was the first sportsman to have received this iconic award. Max Verstappen has had the honor of receiving the award in 2022 after clinching his first F1 world championship.

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Max Verstappen is one of four F1 drivers to have won the Laureus Sportsman of the Year award

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Hamilton, Vettel, and Schumacher are the other F1 drivers who have received this honor

Formula 1 is the pinnacle of motorsport. Subsequently, F1 drivers are extremely fit and to their physical limit. As such, it is no surprise that Max Verstappen is not the only driver to win the Laureus World Sportsman of the Year award. Michael Schumacher was the first F1 driver to get this honor as the German driver won it twice, in 2002 and 2004.

Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton are the other two drivers who have received this award. Vettel clinched this honor in 2014 after winning his fourth consecutive F1 title the previous year. Hamilton jointly won this award in 2020 alongside Football icon Lionel Messi. The date for the announcement of this year’s winners has not been declared yet. However, Max Verstappen would be waiting eagerly in a bid to match Schumacher as the second F1 driver to win this award twice.

Thus, Max Verstappen hopes to defend the Laureus World Sportsman of the Year award in 2023. The Dutchman has consistently performed at his peak in F1 for a couple of seasons. The 25-year-old is often considered a step above the grid as the competition is no match for the dominant Verstappen-Red Bull pairing. However, this year has some deserving candidates, that might make it tough for Max to receive the award once again.

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