Qatar F1 Grand Prix 2023 Results: Max Verstappen Wins; Lewis Hamilton Crashes Out

Max Verstappen may have already clinched his third straight Formula 1 championship, but he isn't taking his foot off the pedal.

Verstappen earned his 14th win of the 2023 F1 season Sunday at the Qatar Grand Prix, further extending his already-dominant points lead. The 26-year-old clinched his title Saturday when teammate Sergio Perez crashed in Saturday's sprint race.

"This one is the best one," Verstappen told reporters. "I think the first one was the most emotional one because that's when your dreams are fulfilled in F1. But this one definitely in my opinion has been my best year also for consecutive wins and stuff. The car itself has been probably in the best shape as well. This one is probably I'm most proud of in a way because of consistency."

Verstappen has won an astounding 14 of 17 races during the 2023 season and has finished outside the top two just once. He needs two wins over the final five races to break the single-season F1 record he set just one year ago.

Verstappen is jarringly already the fifth-winningest driver in F1 history and could move as high as third on the all-time list if he sweeps the remaining races in 2023.

"I achieved more than I could have ever even dreamed of or any goals that I wanted to achieve in F1," Verstappen said. "So I'm loving the moment. We'll see where we end up. It's already way more than I ever thought I could achieve, so it's perfect."

Rookie Oscar Piastri continued his impressive weekend with a second-place finish. Piastri won Saturday's sprint race and now has two straight podium results.

Lando Norris, George Russell and Charles Leclerc rounded out the top five.

Lewis Hamilton did not finish after crashing out following a collision with Russell. Formula 1's all-time wins leader said he takes "full responsibility" for the crash.

Hamilton has not won in his last 40 races, by far the worst stretch of his career.