Verstappen loses to Haaland in prestigious BBC sports award

Formula 1 World Champion Max Verstappen was beaten by ErlingHaaland to the BBC World Sports Star of the Year award. Verstappenwon 19 of 22 Grands Prix and four of the six Sprints in 2023 as heeased to a third World Championship setting numerous records alongthe way. These included most championship points (575), highest winpercentage (86.4%), and became the first driver to lead over 1,000laps in a season as he finished 290 points ahead of Sergio Perez,another record. The Dutchman was nominated for World Sports Star ofthe year at the BBC Sports Personality awards for the second time,after missing out to Lionel Messi in 2022 after he won the WorldCup with Argentina. However, Manchester City striker Haaland scored52 goals in all competitions in his debut season in Englishfootball as the team won the treble. Haaland broke the record formost goals in a Premier League season with 36 in just 35 games asthey also won the FA Cup and Champions League. The other nomineeswere Women's Baloon D'Or winner Aitana BonmatI, gymnast SimoneBiles, Tennis great Novak Djokovic and South African Rugby WorldCup winning captain Siya Kolisi. The Red Bull driver could havebecome the third F1 champion to secure the award, with Niki Laudain 1977 and Sebastian Vettel in 2013 the other two successfullysecuring it.