Verstappen up against Messi and Mbappe for prestigious award

The ‘Sportsperson of the Year’ category is the most prestigious of the awards, and includes the F1 champion.

Verstappen has won two championships back-to-back but faces stern competition if he is be crowned with this award above the FIFA World Cup final duo.

The nominees are:

• Steph Curry (basketball) 
• Mondo Duplantis (athletics)
• Kylian Mbappe (football) 
• Lionel Messi (football) 
• Rafael Nadal (tennis) 
• Max Verstappen (F1)

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“It’s an honour to be nominated for the Laureus World Sportsman of the Year Award,” Verstappen said. 

“Winning last year was an incredible moment for me: it is such a prestigious accolade, and it means even more when you’re up against the world’s best athletes.”

The Red Bull driver is set for the preseason test in Bahrain before battle begins in the 2023 season, where he is hoping to again fend off Lewis Hamilton to claim a third straight championship.