Verstappen explains: 'Then I'm going to appreciate the championship even more'

Hardly anyone really doubts who the world title of the current Formula 1 season will go to. With six races left on the calendar, Max Verstappen can already clinch his world title on Saturday in Qatar. Earlier, Verstappen said he thought the 'sportsman of the year' election was a 'ridiculous' award. Now he looks ahead to the Grand Prix where he can capture his third world title.

"At the time I was also fighting for my first title, so the emotions are very different now that you've won two already and you're going for your third," Verstappen told GPblog and others. "Also, the position we are in as a team is very different. The car is much better than what it was back then. The feelings are completely different. But, yeah, I like both ways. I like that year, you know, fighting till the end, but I also enjoy what I'm doing right now. I think it's beautiful to have it in different ways," the 26-year-old driver continued.

Verstappen on the value of the third championship

"Of course. I'm very proud to be able to achieve these kind of things. But also, I live very much in the moment," the Dutchman commented. "So I want to, of course, achieve more. And I know that once I stop racing, I have time to look back at it and appreciate it probably even more. But for sure, it's something that I never even thought about when I was a little kid that this was possible," said the Red Bull Racing Dutchman.

With the Dutchman already able to clinch his championship on Saturday, celebrating seems difficult. After all, Sunday will just be the Grand Prix itself. Verstappen has already come up with a way: "Saturday night, it's hard, but we'll find a way to do so. Yeah, and then we'll see what happens on Sunday," he concludes.