Erling Haaland outshone Formula 1 World Champion Max Verstappen to claim the BBC World Sports Star of the Year accolade. Verstappen dominated the F1 circuit in 2023, winning 19 out of 22 Grands Prix and securing his third World Championship with several groundbreaking achievements. These milestones encompassed the highest-ever championship points (575), an unprecedented win percentage of 86.4%, and being the first driver to lead over 1,000 laps in a single season. He finished a remarkable 290 points ahead of Sergio Perez, setting another record.
Despite Verstappen’s stellar performance, Erling Haaland, the Manchester City striker, emerged victorious in the BBC Sports Personality awards. Haaland’s debut season in English football was nothing short of spectacular, as he netted an impressive 52 goals across all competitions, contributing to Manchester City’s treble triumph in the Premier League, FA Cup, and Champions League. Notably, Haaland broke the record for the most goals in a Premier League season with 36 in just 35 games.
Max Verstappen, having missed out on the award in 2022 to Lionel Messi, faced tough competition from an array of accomplished athletes. The other nominees included Women’s Ballon d’Or winner Aitana BonmatI, gymnast Simone Biles, tennis legend Novak Djokovic, and South African Rugby World Cup-winning captain Siya Kolisi. While Verstappen could have joined the ranks of past F1 champions Niki Lauda (1977) and Sebastian Vettel (2013) who secured the prestigious award, Haaland’s exceptional achievements in football ultimately secured him the World Sports Star of the Year title.
