Formula 1 champion Max Verstappen has been nominated once again for the prestigious Laureus World Sportsman of the Year award. The Red Bull driver dominated the season, taking 15 wins and scoring 454 points, setting new records in both areas as he eased to a second World Championship Verstappen is the reigning winner of the award, having claimed it in 2021 after his white-hot championship fight against Lewis Hamilton - a winner himself in 2020. The Dutchman is up against Tennis icon Rafael Nadal, pole-vaulter Mondo Duplantis (who set another world record with 6.21m), and NBA star Stephen Curry who led the Golden State Warriors to the title, picking up the Finals MVP award in the process. Verstappen will also be facing Kylian Mbappe, who became just the second man, and third person overall, to score a hat-trick in the FIFA World Cup final during France's defeat on penalties to Argentina in Qatar. The final nominee is Lionel Messi... F1 drivers have had some success in the award before, with Michael Schumacher claiming it in 2002 and 2004, with Sebastian Vettel doing so in 2014. Other names to have won it include Roger Federer (five times), Usain Bolt and Novak Djokovic (four times) and Tiger Woods (two times). Verstappen's Red Bull squad are also up for the Team of the Year award.
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