Max Verstappen failed to capture the ‘World Sport Star of the Year’ award. The Dutchman was nominated, but had to give up the title to Irish jockey Rachel Blackmore.

The special award, which is presented annually to the most influential athlete outside the United Kingdom, has not gone down in the hands of the 24-year-old Dutchman. Verstappen managed to win the first world title of his career last week at the expense of Brit Lewis Hamilton, but it was not enough to win the prize at the BBC.

other nominees

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While last year it was boxer Khabib Nurmagomedov who won the award, this year it went to horse rider Blackmore. He was nominated along with Verstappen and four other athletes. In addition to Verstappen, Novak Djokovic (tennis), Tom Brady (American football), Saul Alvarez (boxing), and Alain Thompson-Herar (athletics) missed out on awards from the BBC.

No third F1 driver

This is not the third time the award, given since 1960, has fallen victim to a Formula 1 driver. Earlier, Niki Lauda had won the award in 1977 and Sebastian Vettel in 2013. The record holder is tennis player Roger Federer, who won the award at least four times and is followed by sprinter Usain Bolt and boxer Mohammad Ali, who won three times.