Max Verstappen and his Red Bull team savoured the moment on Friday night as they collected the F1 drivers’ and constructors’ trophies for wrapping up both world titles during the 2022 season.
After an early challenge from Charles Leclerc and Ferrari, the campaign soon shifted in Verstappen and Red Bull’s favour, with the partnership breaking several records en route to double championship glory.
Verstappen ultimately took the drivers’ crown by 146 points over Leclerc, setting a new benchmark of 15 victories in a season, while Red Bull secured their first constructors’ title since 2013 with 17 wins overall.
Some three weeks after the 2022 season finale at Abu Dhabi, the city of Bologna and the Automobile Club d’Italia played host to the FIA Prize Giving ceremony, in which Verstappen formally collected his trophy, while Red Bull got their hands back on the teams’ prize.
‘The year that belonged to Max Verstappen’
Leclerc and Verstappen’s team mate, Sergio Perez, were also on hand to collect the respective P2 and P3 trophies, along with a host of stars from other motorsport disciplines who enjoyed success this year.
Verstappen said his second championship win felt “very different to my first one”.
He explained: “I think the first one was very emotional because that’s what you work to your whole life and once you achieve your first one… I think, the moments like that you can only compare to your first race win in Formula 1, even your first pole position. The ones you get afterwards are different – they’re nice but that same emotion you will never experience again.
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“But I do think that this season has been more rewarding. Also as a team we were even more competitive, and of course we always focus on the results and we all want to win, but we also spend a lot of time away from family and friends and it’s very important to also enjoy what you’re doing.
“And I really think that this year, working with the whole team, every team member has been really, really good. From that side, this year has been incredible.”
Christian Horner dedicates constructors championship to Dietrich Mateschitz
Christian Horner meanwhile, dedicated Red Bull’s constructors’ championship win to the team’s founder Dietrich Mateschitz, who passed away in October.
“I’d like to dedicate this championship, this trophy, to a very special man, who has done so much for motor sport, done so much for Formula 1. He was a fan of motor sport, foremost and upmost,” Horner said.
“He gave so many drivers in the room tonight an opportunity in so many categories. He gave thousands of engineers and technicians and mechanics [the same opportunity] and I think arguably has done more for motor sport than any other person in history. And so tonight, I’d like to dedicate this to Dietrich Mateschitz.
“Thankfully he saw Max win the championship in Japan… and then the next weekend, the day after he passed we managed to win this trophy, so it’s a very special one,” he said.
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