‘There’s more we want to win’ – Verstappen vows to keep pushing after title-winning Qatar weekend

Max Verstappen made clear that he and Red Bull will not be easing off over the remainder of the season after backing up his latest title win with a dominant victory in the Qatar Grand Prix.

Verstappen secured a third successive championship with a P2 finish in Saturday’s Sprint race at the Lusail International Circuit and went one better in the main event by leading home McLaren pair Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris.

READ MORE: Verstappen cruises to Qatar GP victory over Piastri and Norris after Mercedes drivers collide

In a hot and humid encounter that saw every finisher complete at least three pit stops due to tyre-related safety measures, Verstappen brought his 2023 tally up to 14 wins from 17 races, with five rounds still to come.

Reflecting on the Grand Prix, he said: “I think what made the race was my first stint. After that I could just manage my pace, making sure that my tyres were always in a good window. But the McLarens were quick again today, I had to push for it, so it was definitely a tough race out there.”

Asked if he can now properly celebrate his latest title triumph, Verstappen added: “We will enjoy it a little, but there are still quite a few races out there that we want to win!”

READ MORE: Hamilton takes full responsibility for first-lap collision with Russell in Qatar

Speaking in a special champion’s interview before the race, Verstappen explained just how much it meant to join an elite club in becoming a triple world champion.

“I’m incredibly proud of everyone involved in this project,” he commented. “I was also very happy that there were a lot of important people to me here, my close family, important members of the team, they were here to quickly celebrate, and that was very nice.

“[All my titles] feel very different, and I think that’s very beautiful. The first one is very emotional, I think this one has been the best one in terms of performance and dominance as a team, so a lot of different feelings from all three of them.

FACTS AND STATS: Verstappen breaks Vettel’s record for most laps led in a season

“I think no one expected within the team that we would have a season like this with the [number] of wins. Of course, we are very proud of our achievements and I’m very proud to sit here talking about the championship.”

Check out the championship Max Verstappen collection on F1 Store here