By Alan Baldwin
DOHA (Reuters) – Red Bull’s Max Verstappen won his third Formula One world championship while still racing after team mate and sole title rival Sergio Perez crashed out of a Qatar Grand Prix sprint on Saturday.
Mexican Perez needed to finish in the top three places to keep the title officially open for another day, with the main grand prix on Sunday, but started eighth and dropped to 11th before tangling with Alpine’s Esteban Ocon on lap 11.
The Red Bull was then stuck in the gravel, with Perez stepping out.
That meant Verstappen, who was running in third place at the time, was champion for the third year in a row no matter where he finished.
The 26-year-old Dutch driver will start on pole position for Sunday’s race, chasing his 14th win in 17 grands prix.
(Reporting by Alan Baldwin,; Editing by Andrew Cawthorne and Ed Osmond)
