F1: Max Verstappen world champion in confusion in Japan

Christopher Fillocque with AFP 2:08 p.m., October 09, 2022, modified at 2:08 p.m., October 09, 2022

At the end of a race first stopped on the 3rd lap for two hours due to weather conditions and two retirements, Verstappen (Red Bull) crossed the line in front of Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) and his Mexican teammate Sergio Pérez, without knowing that he was a champion.

Because just after, Leclerc, second in the Championship before the Japanese round, was penalized five seconds for having cut a corner and "gained an advantage" against Pérez who was chasing him.

The Monegasque driver lost his 2nd place in favor of Pérez and this change allowed the 25-year-old Dutchman to be titled, as in 2021. At first, he himself did not believe it and he was first congratulated on his victory, before projecting himself on the next Grand Prix to aim for the world title.

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"I didn't think I had won the title," explained Verstappen, whose first world title had already taken place in incredible conditions during the last lap of the last race in 2021, in Abu Dhabi.

"The second title is more beautiful"

"It's crazy, my feelings are shared," reacted "Mad Max" who enters the closed circle of 17 multi-titled drivers at the highest world level.

"The first (title) was more moving, the second is more beautiful," he continued.

Verstappen is now 113 points ahead of Pérez, who passes 2nd, and 114 points over Leclerc.

He can no longer be joined because a maximum of 112 points remain to be pocketed in the last four races.

World Champion 2022!!!

We've been absolutely on it, the whole year.

A season where we had a difficult start but kept it cool, bounced back and never let go.

pic.twitter.com/lRX9mj1siw

— Max Verstappen (@Max33Verstappen) October 9, 2022

The normal points scale was indeed applied on Sunday, despite a race interrupted for two hours and then truncated: the pilots only covered 28 of the 53 scheduled laps, within the maximum period of three hours after the start, provided for by the regulations. .

According to this regulation, in the event of a race "suspended" and which "cannot be resumed", a different points scale applies: it takes more than 75% of the planned distance for all the points to be awarded.

But this point of the regulations was not applicable on Sunday because the Grand Prix was able to resume and end, according to race management.

"I didn't think I would be titled because I didn't know if I was going to have all the points," Verstappen explained at a press conference.

Mattia Binotto, boss of the Ferrari team, said himself "confused" and thought that all the points were not going to be awarded to Verstappen (who would then have won only 19 points and would not have won the title) .

Another cause for confusion: some drivers did not know, on the track, if they were completing their last lap.

And the checkered flag was not lowered first in front of Verstappen...

This is Verstappen's second title marked by some confusion: in 2021, at the very last GP, against Lewis Hamilton, the end of the race, after the exit of the safety car, had completely redistributed the cards.

This year, there was no match and Verstappen has already won 12 out of 18 races: "Congratulations to Max, it's a totally deserved title" admitted Leclerc.

It was in front of sold-out stands, with 90,000 fans, that the coronation took place, for the first Japanese GP since 2019, after two seasons of absence due to the pandemic.

chaotic race

Starting from pole position, the Dutchman kept the lead despite the very good start and Leclerc's attempt to overtake.

But the race was quickly stopped due to the conditions and the retirement of Thai Alex Albon (Williams, engine) and Spaniard Carlos Sainz (Ferrari, accident).

"I was surprised that the start was given, it was dangerous (...)", reacted Albon on Canal +.

At that time, the Frenchman Pierre Gasly (AlphaTauri) saw a breakdown vehicle on the track that had gone to look for Sainz's Ferrari: "It's unacceptable! How is it possible? I can't believe it", he reacted.

This event described as "worse than unacceptable" by the director of the Alfa Romeo team, Frédéric Vasseur, recalls the accident in 2014 of Frenchman Jules Bianchi, here in Japan.

In the rain, Bianchi had lost control and his single-seater had crashed into a lifting device which was evacuating another car.

He died in July 2015 in France, after several months in a coma.

"No respect for the life of the pilots, no respect for the memory of Jules, incredible", wrote on Instagram his father, Philippe Bianchi.