Max Verstappen wins in Japan and takes second F1 title

Red Bull’s Max Verstappen wrapped up a second successive Formula One title on Sunday with victory in a rain-shortened Japanese Grand Prix after his closest rival Charles Leclerc was hit with a post-race penalty.

Dutchman Verstappen had crossed the road forward of the Ferrari driver who, defending towards the opposite Red Bull of Sergio Perez, took the chequered flag a distant second.

But the Monegasque had 5 seconds added to his race time for reducing throughout the ultimate chicane on the final lap which dropped him down to 3rd.

“It’s a crazy feeling of course as I didn’t expect it when I crossed the line,” mentioned Verstappen amid confusion over whether or not decreased factors below new guidelines launched this yr would apply with the race working to simply over its midway mark.

Red Bull driver Max Verstappen, proper, of the Netherlands is sprayed with champagne by second positioned teammate Sergio Perez of Mexico on podium in the course of the Japanese Formula One Grand Prix on the Suzuka Circuit in Suzuka, central Japan, Sunday, Oct. 9, 2022.(AP Photo/Toru Hanai)

“Was it going to be half points, I didn’t know how many points I was going to get,” he added.

The sport’s governing FIA clarified that the decreased factors rule solely applies to races which can be suspended and can’t be resumed.

Sunday’s race was halted after two laps because of heavy rain but it surely resumed somewhat over two hours later, with drivers finishing 28 of the scheduled 53 laps and full factors awarded.

Verstappen consequently leaves Japan with a 113-point margin over Perez, who now strikes into second within the total standings. He wanted no less than 112-point margin to his closest challenger to be topped champion on Sunday.

Verstappen’s win in Japan was his twelfth from 18 races. With 4 races left, the Dutchman is on the right track to beat the document for many wins in a season which, shared by Michael Schumacher and Sebastian Vettel, stands at 13.

“Max has just been incredible,” mentioned Leclerc, the early title favorite who held a 46-point lead over Verstappen after the opening three races.

“It’s a title absolutely deserved.

“We will try to push over the last four races to improve as a team and hopefully put more of a challenge next year.”

Verstappen began Sunday’s race from pole.

He was crushed off the road by Leclerc within the moist however went wheel-to-wheel with the Ferrari, spray streaming behind them, over the primary two corners and seized again the initiative.

Incidents involving a number of automobiles introduced out the protection automobile earlier than the opening lap could possibly be accomplished, whereas a restoration car deployed on the observe precipitated alarm as Pierre Gasly’s AlphaTauri sped previous.

The circumstances compelled a halt to the race on the second lap and, after the two-hour delay, it resumed with a rolling begin.

But Verstappen disappeared into the gap and was labeled as having completed 27 seconds away from his staff mate.