Max Verstappen won his second Formula One world title when he won the Grand Prix of Japan, which was cut short due to weather. At Suzuka, in the rain, Verstappen defeated Charles Leclerc by eight points and Sergio Perez by six. Leclerc’s late-time penalty secured the 2022 championship with four races remaining.
Now, Verstappen has an insurmountable 113-point championship lead and would be reliable during sports betting. Only Michael Schumacher and Sebastian Vettel have accomplished this feat with four races remaining.
Due to heavy rain and a lengthy red flag, only 29 of 53 laps were completed during the race. As a result, people believed total points would not be awarded after the race.
Another Dramatic F1 Ending
The Dutchman began on pole position under a downpour, causing mayhem. After multiple vehicles collided on the second lap, the race was called off. When the race resumed two hours later, 28 of the 53 laps had already been completed, and Verstappen had been in the lead from the start until the finish.
Even yet, F1 had to do the unexpected by awarding total points for the shortened race to clinch the title with four races remaining.
It began to shower an hour before the race, setting the stage for Verstappen’s second effort to win the world title early. Was it approved in heaven?
Leclerc raced off the line faster than pole-sitter Verstappen, who admitted he had a “poor start” before attempting a dangerous drive outside the first turn to retake the lead.
Verstappen remarked, “It was a very close race, but that’s what the fans want to witness.”
The safety car was deployed after Carlos Sainz’s Ferrari spun out and Alex Albon’s Williams broke down on the opening lap.
On his final race at Suzuka, Sebastian Vettel collided with Fernando Alonso and slid into the gravel. Guanyu Zhou turned around the Hairpin. Alex Albon was forced to retire because of a mechanical issue.
It was not over yet, as the next puzzle was provided by a close battle between Charles Leclerc of Ferrari and Sergio Perez of Red Bull. He finished second and third in the race and the championship, respectively.
On the last lap, Leclerc lost control of his vehicle, drove straight through the final chicane, and rejoined the track ahead of Perez. Leclerc was assessed a 5-second time penalty shortly after the checkered flag for leaving the track and gaining an advantage. This placed him third, behind Perez.
Esteban Ocon and Lewis Hamilton engaged in an intense competition behind the top three finishers. In the end, Ocon maintained fourth place, while the seven-time World Champion settled for fifth.
Sebastian Vettel finished sixth despite spinning out on the opening lap. He accomplished this by swapping to Intermediate tires shortly after the restart.
All the other drivers finally got to him after his first-lap spinout, but the time he gained by pitting early put him in the points.
Fernando Alonso placed seventh overall. He advanced through the lower point-paying positions by utilizing his late-race advantage in speed on new tires.
George Russell finished eighth in the second Mercedes, ahead of Nicholas Latifi, who earned points before his exit at Williams.
Lando Norris completed the top 10.
Double Champion
In addition, it was determined that all of the points might be awarded because the reduced-distance race restarted from the first lap and concluded on the track rather than being halted due to the delay.
Due to Leclerc’s penalty and total points, Verstappen was unexpectedly declared the winner during Perez’s post-race interview.
“It’s a bizarre sensation,” Verstappen said, “since I didn’t anticipate it when I crossed the finish line.”
“Is that a half point or a whole point?” I had no idea how many points I would receive. “I loved the outcome of the race.”
Even though the race consisted of only 28 laps, Verstappen ended with a 27-second advantage. This indicates that he was pulling away from the rest of the pack by one second every lap. This amount increases even further when pit stops and laps under the safety car are included.
The Dutchman began on the pole under a downpour, causing mayhem. After multiple vehicles collided on the second lap, the race was called off. When the race resumed two hours later, 28 of the 53 laps had already been completed, and Verstappen had been in the lead from the start until the finish.
Max Verstappen and Fernando Alonso have won the same amount of Formula One World Championships. Red Bull Racing maintains its lead in the Constructors championship. Redbull is in first place with 619 points, and Scuderia Ferrari is in second place with 454 points.
