What a championship race that was! As Max Verstappen charged towards the checkered flag, the celebrations had begun in the Red Bull garage. However, the moment the RB16 met the line, there was one person more exhilarated for the champion than the rest.

Former teammate and Red Bull reserve driver Alex Albon took over the team radio before anyone else could. In absolute disbelief, he was the first to welcome Verstappen as the world champion.

Screaming into the radio, Alex Albon congratulated his former teammate. “Oh my Lord, Max! Oh my God!” The screams were a true representation of a season’s worth of hard work behind the scenes from Albon.

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He later continued, “Mate, you absolutely deserve it, you absolutely deserve it.” Putting in the work on the simulator throughout the season, Albon has been crucial in Verstappen’s maiden title. As Red Bull celebrates their title, Albon too deserves to be put on the pedestal for their monumental achievement.

Former teammates congratulate Max Verstappen on historic title

Alex Albon wasn’t the only driver who was thrilled for his former teammate. Placing a stunning P3 in the race, Carlos Sainz made his way to hug Verstappen after the intense race. During the press conference, Sainz held Verstappen in high regard.

“Happy for him because we shared our first year together in Toro Rosso and to see him now be capable of winning a World Championship is also like a good thing for me and I look up to him.”

The Spaniard later added, ” The fact that it’s Max and obviously after our first year in Formula One together, makes me feel proud of him and yeah, a bit melancholic about our first year in Formula 1, and to finally see him World Champion now, yeah, I look up to him in a good way, knowing that it’s possible to achieve your dream.”

Verstappen’s best friend on the grid, Daniel Ricciardo, gave his Red Bull teammate a quick congratulatory hug as well. After what could have only been an intense night of partying between the two, Ricciardo took to Instagram to congratulate his friend.

As Max Verstappen made his mark on history, the world lauds the driver for the season behind him. Regardless of who won the title, it would have been well-deserved; since there can only be one, Verstappen can bask in his glory as the 2021 champion.

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