Max Verstappen might have to free up more space in his trophy cabinet, with the Toro Roro driver featuring among the nominees for the 2016 Laureus World Sport Awards.
Following his impressive rookie F1 campaign, the 18-year-old will be in the running to clinch the Breakthough of the Year Award, facing competition from the Chilean men’s football team, golfers Jason Day and Brooke Henderson, UK swimmer Adam Peaty, jockey Michelle Payne and Bahrain’s 10-year-old swimmer Alzain Tareq. Fellow Red Bull stablemate Daniel Ricciardo won the award last year.
Verstappen is not the only F1 representative, since triple world champion Lewis Hamilton is once again in contention in the main World Sportsman of the Year category.
The Briton, who had received the 2008 breakthrough accolade, will take on track and field legends Usain Bolt, Mo Farah and Greg Rutherford, football icons Lionel Messi and Cristano Ronaldo, Tour de France winners Chris Froome and Alberto Contador, NBA star LeBron James, boxing great Floyd Mayweather, golfer Jordan Spieth and reigning Laureus champion Novak Djokovic.
Hamilton’s Mercedes AMG team also secures another Team of the Year nod. Having lost out to Germany’s 2014 football world cup-winning team 12 months ago, the F1 world champions will this time compete against New Zealand’s rugby team, Superbowl victors New England Patriots, MLB World Series winners Kansas City Royals, NBA champions Golden State Warriors, the US women’s football team, the British David Cup squad, and the Spanish men’s basketball team.
F1 enjoys a strong record at the Laureus World Sport Awards, with legendary racer Michael Schumacher winning the main category twice, and four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel once.
Renault picked up the Team of the Year Award following its 2005 title-winning campaign, while Juan Pablo Montoya and Jenson Button also topped the breakthrough vote.
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