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Max Verstappen has been crowned champion of the world after he finished second to Oscar Piastri in Saturday’s chaotic sprint round in Qatar. The 26-year-old Dutchman has emulated Sir Jackie Stewart and Ayrton Senna by wrapping up his third title with six grands prix still remaining – equalling Michael Schumacher’s 21-year-old record. Red Bull’s Verstappen has dominated Formula One since he beat seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton to clinch his maiden title at the deeply controversial season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in 2021. And the 26-year-old’s runner-up finish, coupled with Sergio Perez’s failure to finish in the top three – he crashed out with eight laps remaining – was enough to seal the deal under the floodlights of the Lusail International Circuit. Verstappen’s championship parade will start at Sunday’s 57-lap Grand Prix in Qatar. Lando Norris finished third for McLaren, one place ahead of Mercedes’ George Russell, with Lewis Hamilton fifth. “Max, you are a three-time world champion,” roared Red Bull’s jubilant team principal Christian Horner over the radio. “That is unbelievable. It has been an incredible year for you.” It is a fantastic feeling World champion Max Verstappen Verstappen replied: “Unbelievable, guys. I don’t know what to say. Thank you for giving me such a good car. It has been a pleasure to be able to achieve something like this. I cannot thank you enough.” After lapping up the adulation of his team, Verstappen said: “It is a fantastic feeling, and it has been an incredible year. I am super-proud of the team. It has been so enjoyable to be a part of that group of people. To be a three-time world champion is incredible. “We will keep on pushing and try to do the best we can. Today was an exciting race, but it was good and fun out there and I am incredibly happy at the moment.” Asked if he feels more world championships are possible, the Dutch driver added: “We will see what happens. I am enjoying the moment and hopefully we will keep this momentum going for a while.” Verstappen’s championship-winning campaign has been one largely led from the front but the Dutchman dropped from third to fifth at the end of the opening lap. As Russell blasted from fourth to second, a slow-starting Verstappen fell down the order, with Ferrari pair Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc leapfrogging the Red Bull man. Verstappen momentarily got out of shape at the opening right-hander, with Fernando Alonso nibbling at the back of his machine. The Dutchman survived and then slung his Red Bull underneath Lando Norris, who had started second, to take fifth. Moments later, Liam Lawson beached his AlphaTauri and out came the safety car. Meanwhile, Perez, who had to finish in the top three to prevent Verstappen from taking the title, had dropped from eighth to 11th. Perez threatened to fight Verstappen for the championship by winning two of the opening four rounds of the season. However, the Mexican’s challenge has faded desperately – he has not won since the Azerbaijan Grand Prix on April 30. In came the safety car at the end of the second lap, and Russell, on the speedier, but less durable soft tyres, made his move on the medium-shod pole-sitter Piastri to assume the lead. Then, the error-prone Logan Sargeant put his Williams in the gravel. The safety car was deployed again as the American’s stricken machine was cleared from danger. The safety car pulled in at the end of lap five and Russell raced away from Piastri as Verstappen – on the slower, but more durable, medium rubber – set about his comeback. First to be swatted aside was Ferrari’s Leclerc on the main straight on lap nine, with Sainz the Dutchman’s next victim on the following lap. The race was starting to come back to those on the medium tyres, and Piastri roared past Russell to reclaim the lead at the start of lap 11. And then the championship was officially over when Perez’s race ended in the gravel at Turn 2. Esteban Ocon attempted to overtake Nico Hulkenberg on the inside of the second corner, and with Perez to the right of the Haas driver, Ocon lost control of his Alpine and took Perez with him. It summed up Perez’s woefully disappointing campaign. The safety car was deployed for a third time before a five-lap blast to the flag. On lap 16, Verstappen eased past Russell with Piastri 2.6 sec up the road. However, the McLaren man could not be caught. But Verstappen, who needed to finish only sixth to be sure of the title, need not worry as he celebrated becoming just the 11th driver to win the world championship on more than two occasions. Read More Max Verstappen’s season and overall record in numbers following world title win Angry Lance Stroll shoves personal trainer and storms out of interview Max Verstappen fastest in Qatar practice as he closes in on world championship Fernando Alonso lauds Max Verstappen as best F1 driver since Michael Schumacher Fernando Alonso lauds Max Verstappen as best F1 driver since Michael Schumacher Max Verstappen’s best moments as he wins 2023 F1 world title

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Pigeons aren’t known for sparking social media frenzies, probably because most of us view them as annoying, flying rats. But one TikTok channel dedicated to the pavement-lurking birds has prompted a flutter of interest after it shared a pretty jaw-dropping video. The clip, which is accompanied by suitably jaunty music, shows a staggeringly proportioned pigeon, with a fit-to-busting chest, skinny white legs and giant feathers for claws, apparently. The man behind Pigeons TV posted the footage early last month and it has since racked up more than 18.6 million views and 1.6 million likes. Sign up for our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Stunned commentators have pointed out that it looks like some sort of chicken/pigeon hybrid, with a number suggesting the “mutant” bird must be a hoax. @pigeonstv English Pouter pigeons #pigeonstv #pigeon “What in the A.I. generated pigeon is that?” one asked. “Y’'all better not [be] gaslight me into thinking this is real,” wrote another. “If I were 5 years old and you told me to draw a picture of a bird, this is what it would look like,” joked a third. “Bro came out [of] a Dr Suess Book,” added a fourth. And a fifth said: “I don’t know much about birds but these are obviously two birds wearing a pigeon suit.” However, it turns out they’re all wrong. And this Frankenstein’s Monster of a feathered friend is simply an example of one of the many varieties of pigeons that exist in the world. The English Pouter is believed to have originated in England more than 400 years ago as the result of cross-breeding among a number of other old pigeon types. It’s best known for its bulbous breast, which it can puff up and hold in position for hours on end, according to the AviCulture blog. Indeed, the bird is so famed for its interesting looks that Charles Darwin himself commented on its appearance in his 1868 book ‘The Variation of Animals and Plants Under Domestication’, branding it: “Perhaps the most distinct of all domesticated pigeons”. The Poulter’s full chest also apparently influenced fashion back in the early 20th Century, inspiring a “poulter pigeon’ dress”, which puffed above the waist. Who knew that pigeons were true OG fashionistas? Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

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