F1: Max Verstappen up against best athletes in world for Laureus Sports Award

Max Verstappen is up for the top prize at the Laureus World Sports Awards – but the Formula 1 star faces some stern competition.

The Dutchman enjoyed a remarkable 2022 campaign and won the drivers’ title by a whopping 146 points – smashing several records in the process. As well as a second consecutive F1 championship success, his efforts have now earned him a nomination for Laureus World Sportsman of the Year.

But Verstappen is far from the only household name up for the gong. To claim it, he will have to fend off competition from Lionel Messi – fresh from his World Cup win with Argentina last December – and his Paris Saint-Germain team-mate Kylian Mbappe, who also dazzled in Qatar.

Also nominated is Rafael Nadal, who had a stellar first half of 2022 which began with a remarkable 21-match winning streak until injury took its toll. That run saw him become Australian Open champion, while the Spaniard also lived up to his ‘King of Clay’ moniker by scooping his 14th French Open title.

NBA icon Steph Curry is up for the award after playing a key role in the Golden State Warriors’ fourth championship success in eight years. Mondo Duplantis, the Swedish-American athlete who broke the pole vault records and won both the indoor and outdoor world titles, rounds off the list.