Max Verstappen failed to win the “Global Sports Star of the Year” award. The Dutchman is nominated, but has to leave the title to Irish rider Rachel Blackmore.

The special award, given annually to the most admired athlete outside the UK, did not reach the 24-year-old Dutchman. Verstappen managed to win his first world title in his career at the expense of Briton Lewis Hamilton last week, but that was not enough to win the award at the BBC.

The other candidates

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While boxer Khabib Nurmagomedov took the award last year, this year it went to rider Blackmore. She was nominated with Verstappen and four other athletes. In addition to Verstappen, Novak Djokovic (tennis), Tom Brady (American football), Saul Alvarez (boxing) and Ellen Thompson-Herrer (athletics) missed the BBC award.

No third F1 driver

The award, which has been awarded since 1960, did not fall prey to the Formula 1 driver for the third time this time. Previously, Niki Lauda took the award in 1977 and Sebastian Vettel in 2013. The record holder is tennis player Roger Federer, he has won the award no less than four times and is closely followed by sprinter Usain Bolt and boxer Muhammad Ali, they have won three times.