F1 Japan Grand Prix: Max Verstappen crowned world champion after confusing end to farcical race
Throughout the Japan Grand Prix, viewers were repeatedly told that Max Verstappen could not win the title. Next minute he was a double world champion. How did this happen?
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Throughout the Japan Grand Prix, viewers were repeatedly told that Max Verstappen could not win the title at Suzuka owing to the fact just 52 per cent of laps were completed.
Then came a late twist.
Post race interviews were interrupted so that Johnny Herbert could announce that the Red Bull gun was in fact a double world champion.
It was farcical.
On a day that saw the FIA widely condemned for allowing a tractor on track while cars were still driving at high speed with next to no visibility bringing back haunting memories of Jules Bianchi’s death, the sport didn’t need more controversy.
“Are you sure?” Verstappen said to Herbert.
Not even his team knew until about 15 minutes after the chequered flag when it was finally confirmed that full points were on offer.
The FIA quickly referred to a small rule that states reduced points only applied if a suspended race could not be resumed.
Even still this was not enough to hand Verstappen the title. It took a post race penalty to Charles Leclerc to secure things.
The Ferrari drive was deemed to have gained an advantage by leaving the track on the final corner while under pressure from Sergio perez.
Talk about chaos and another world title awarded under controversial circumstances for Verstappen.
“It’s a crazy feeling of course as I didn’t expect it when I crossed the line,” a shell-shocked Verstappen said later.
“Was it going to be half points? I didn’t know how many points I was going to get. I was happy with the race we had.”
Verstappen said he was capable of dominating Formula One for years to come after clinching his second straight world title
The Dutchman entered the race needing to finish eight points clear of Leclerc to clinch the world championship.
Verstappen began his post-race interview believing he would have to wait until the United States Grand Prix to secure his second-consecutive title, however was then told that due to Leclerc’s penalty he had won the championship.
“It’s crazy. Very mixed emotions of course, first of all winning the race but looking back now, winning the championship, what a year we’ve had so far,” Verstappen said.
“Something I could never have imagined after last year and fighting to the end. I’m so thankful to everyone who has contributed to this success.
“I think the first one is always a little more emotional but the second one is probably even more beautiful after the season we’ve had with the wins and great races.”
UNBEATABLE THIS SEASON
It was Verstappen’s 12th win of the season and Red Bull’s 14th, making it the winningest Formula 1 season in the team’s history.
“If I have a competitive car, I’m confident that we can keep this going,” said the 25-year-old, who has won 12 of 18 races this season.
“It also depends on what the competition is going to come up with. I really believe in this group and I really hope that in the coming years we can enjoy a lot more wins and potentially of course championships.”
The 25-year-old met the checkered flag more than 27 seconds ahead of Leclerc and Perez in a race that lasted just 28 laps after a near-two hour delay due to a Carlos Sainz crash in the early stages.
Rain saturated the Suzuka circuit and made visibility nigh impossible for those in midfield but there was no issue for Verstappen, who restarted the race from pole and raced away to victory.
The 28 laps was a crucial milestone as it meant more than half the race had been completed and full race points could be awarded.
“We thought it wasn’t going to be full points awarded … at one point we thought do we pit him for the fastest lap and so on but wow, that’s beyond all our dreams,” Red Bull principal Christian Horner told Sky Sports.
“Max has been truly, truly dominant. It’s our 14th victory – that’s a record for us as a team.
“The way he’s driven from the first race … honestly he (and) the team have just raised it to another level. Incredibly proud of everything he has done. To achieve this championship is truly special.
“What a script to win that, to get that victory in Japan with Honda as well is really special.”
The shock announcement of the championship title briefly overshadowed a controversial opening to the race, when AlphaTauri driver Pierre Gasly drove past a recovery vehicle that was on the track as he attempted to make up ground on the field under a safety car.
MAX VERSTAPPEN
— Formula 1 (@F1) October 9, 2022
TWO-TIME WORLD CHAMPION!!!#2TheMax#F1pic.twitter.com/eOlI6B6un1
MAX VERSTAPPEN WINS THE JAPAN GRAND PRIX
Japanese Grand Prix results (top 10)
1. Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
2. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
3. Sergio Perez (Red Bull)
4. Esteban Ocon (Alpine)
5. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
6. Sebastian Vettel (Aston Martin)
7. Fernando Alonso (Alpine)
8. George Russell (Mercedes)
9. Nicholas Latifi (Williams)
10. Lando Norris (McLaren)
2 MINS TO GO
And some big changes on the cards in the dying minutes here. Alonso is storming through the field - currently in 8th, Hamilton still driving Ocon crazy for 4th and Norris struggling to find a way around Latifi.
Further back Stroll is putting Ricciardo under pressure for 11th
6 MINS TO GO - VERSTAPPEN LEADS
Alonso on brand new inters and he’s in the points.
Also Leclerc now under immense pressure from Perez for second and that’s an impressive job from the second Red Bull to have made up that time.
If we get anywhere close to half race distance, Perez is out of contention for the world title and it becomes a two driver race.
1-10
VER
LEC
PER
OCO
HAM
VET
RUS
LAT
ALO
NOR
10 MINS TO GO
Let’s rename turn 6 Russell corner because boy oh boy has the Mercedes drive made two beautiful moves in the same place in the last 10 minutes, most recently on Latifi and prior to that on Norris.
Ricciardo now up to 11th
12 MINS TO GO - VERSTAPPEN LEADS
An incredible battle for 4th between Hamilton and Ocon and the Alpine is defending so well. Can’t believe the Mercedes isn’t finding a way through to be honest but kudos to the Frenchman.
Hamilton keeps trying but the Alpine has way too much straight line speed.
Awesome to watch
18 MINS TO GO - VERSTAPPEN LEADS
The Red Bull of Max and the Ferrari of Charles are in a league of their own right now.
And would you just look at the Aston Martin of Vettel, driving in 6th and defending like a menace on Alonso.
Also a sentence I never thought I would write; Latifi is in the points!
27 MINS - VERSTAPPEN LEADS
Expecting stable conditions until the end of the race - which means no more heavy rain but it’s spitting. Thing is it’s not the rain that’s the problem it’s how much of it that’s pooling on the track.
1-10
VER
LEC
PER
OCO
HAM
VET
ALO
LAT
NOR
TSU
6:27PM PITLANE MAYHEM - ALONSO LEADS
From the wets to the intermediates and the times are going to start going purple.
Stop the race now Ricciardo is second!!!
Russell filthy about the tyre change” That was the worst decision we have made”
Grim. #JapaneseGPpic.twitter.com/eTWIypCh76
— TAB (@tabcomau) October 9, 2022
6:20PM RACING HAS RESUMED
We are back on track under a rolling start procedure.
41 minutes of racing time left but man oh man conditions are not good.
6:01PM HORNER FUMING
A furious Christian Horner described the tractor incident as totally unacceptable and said it was “lucky” nobody had been seriously injured or worse.
”We lost Jules Bianchi here and that should never ever happen,” the Red Bull team principal said.
“There needs to be a full investigation into why there was a recovery vehicle on the track in those horrendous conditions. It’s extremely dangerous.
“The VSC was brought in for a reason following that awful accident.
“Without all the facts it’s hard to comment on why it was on track so allow the FIA to do the full search. It was decided several years ago that what happened years ago was unacceptable.
“Visibility is just horrendous, even Max at the front is struggling to see so how anyone else can see anything at all…it’s the standing water that causes the issues. The rivers across the circuit, you get aquaplaning that lifts the drivers.
“We got lucky so far (that there wasn’t a more serious accident). It’s unimaginable that we saw something like that and the drivers are in one piece.”
His sentiments were echoed by many in the sport.
Martin Brundle tweeted: “Should have been an instant red flag with a stricken car in a critical position in those conditions. Clearly debris on track too.
“Should NEVER EVER be a tractor on track until the cars are all collected up behind a safety car or in the pits. Gasly can’t take all the blame here.”
Should have been an instant red flag with a stricken car in a critical position in those conditions. Clearly debris on track too. Should NEVER EVER be a tractor on track until the cars are all collected up behind a safety car or in the pits. Gasly can’t take all the blame here
— Martin Brundle (@MBrundleF1) October 9, 2022
5:30PM NORRIS TAKES AIM
“Wtf. How’s this happened!? We lost a life in this situation years ago. We risk our lives, especially in conditions like this. We wanna race. But this… Unacceptable.”
Lando Norris has slammed the presence of the tractor on the track.
Incredibly, Pierre Gasly has been summoned to the stewards for speeding under red flag conditions.
“Car 10 reached speeds of up to 250 km/h when completing the lap under the red flag after passing the scene of the incident.”
5:20PM NO ONE COULD SEE ME ON TRACK
Carlos Sainz on the visibility and the fact he knew none of his rivals could see him.
“By the time we started the race we were on inters but the track was into extreme conditions. I had no visibility so I tried to get out of Checo’s [Sergio Perez] slipstream and suddenly I found myself in a puddle, started aquaplaning and lost the car.
“The most scary part came a bit later when I was stuck in the middle of the track and I could see cars coming and I knew they couldn’t see I was there.
“Quite tricky and dangerous conditions out there right now, so I am not sure what is going to be the decision.
“Because I had done half a lap before that, I knew everyone coming behind me was not going to see me. You could see Pierre Gasly and a few others coming this close from taking me so if there is no visibility you are leaving it in God’s hands so I hope race directors make the correct decision.”
5:06PM WE SHOULDN’T HAVE BEEN RACING
“I don’t understand why we went racing to begin with, the cars at the back were like pinball,” Alex Albon just told Sky Sports.
“I couldn’t see where I was on the track and I touched with the other cars. But that's how it it, it's a tricky one.
“We don’t want Spa to happen again but conditions like this, we want to go racing but it has to be safe.
“We talked about it because it already kind of happened in Singapore, Seb raised it in a briefing this week. We know what happened, we don’t want to talk about what happened a few years ago. It’s really dangerous, people don't realise that.
“There will be discussions going into the next race.”
RESTART SUSPENDED
Two minutes from the restart and it’s called off again and I am totally gobsmacked and utterly livid about the vision of a tractor on track
Has F1 learnt nothing since 2014?
This is the most shambolic and irresponsible thing I’ve seen since 2014 when you will remember at this track Jules Bianchi lost his life after crashing into a tractor on track.
Gasly had every right to be as angry as he was. Bianchi was his childhood friend.
“How can you drive a car at 300kph with no visibility,” Carlos Sainz said in relation to the incident.
“I don’t know if people understand even behind a safety car we are going 100-150 kph we don’t see nothing.
“One driver goes out the racing line, one drive hits a tractor and it’s over. I don’t know why we risk having this on track. You were going to red flag it so why risk it.”
ESTO ES PELIGROSÃSIMO
— 🅿 (@finallyxpablo) October 9, 2022
HabÃa un tractor en la pista cuando pasaba Gasly, parece que no aprendieron nada de lo que pasó en este mismo circuito… pic.twitter.com/Qyq22WJ1jk
WHAT IS THE FORECAST?
Do you think this is going to let off at any stage?” Hamilton asked engineer Peter Bonnington as he returned to the pits.
“The forecast is pretty grim, but let’s see,” Bonnington replies
RED FLAG
There’s an absurdity to all of this. Yes we can talk about how skilful these drivers are to handle these conditions and yes we can talk about the technology they all have to keep them safe BUT should they really have started this race?
It’s not the rain that’s the issue it's the hindrance the water on the track is to visibility. If you watch the replays of Sainz pulling over the cars speeding by would not have seen him until VERY late on.
Moreover, what on earth is happening to the track when Pierre Gasly radios in - turning the airwaves blue - to say that advertising debris is on the front of his car and blocking his view.
“What the hell is that? Oh my God - I got something stuck I can’t see in front of me.”
pierre gasly is FUMING #JapaneseGPpic.twitter.com/dhXdpRGOjY
— 🕸 (@softizzah) October 9, 2022
LAP 1 SAFETY CAR
What a start! Leclerc got out so well and Verstappen had a shocker but somehow clawed it back.
I was expecting carnage on that first few turns and boy did it come.
Sebastian Vettel the first casualty - he claims he was taken out by Alonso but remains in the race.
Then a Ferrari off. Carlos Sainz is out of the race and further back there was contact between Hamilton and Alonso but both cars survive.
Alex Albon is also out of the race with what looks like engine failure.
Safety car.
WOW.
WILL WE GET A RACE IN FULL?
The three hour clock starts at 2pm local so 4pm here. That’s the window during which the race must be started and finished.
Unlike in Singapore we don’t have a delayed start. So, if the race is red flagged, classification is taken from the penultimate lap before the race was stopped.
So can Max win whatever happens?
No.
If the race is stopped before the end of lap 16 only six points will be awarded -= Max must be at least eight clear of Leclerc so in this scenario he cannot be crowned world champion.
At least half distance must be completed for fastest lap point to be counted.
So plenty of permutations for the title challenge here. I’ll keep you posted.
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner is confident the full race happens.
“These conditions literally anything can happen,” he said. “It’s consistently miserable and it will get harder in the second half of the race.
“It gets short on daylight hours if it gets extended. I don’t see how we can’t get the race done.”
How the track is looking.#JapaneseGP 🇯🇵 pic.twitter.com/4C8sVD7k6h
— McLaren (@McLarenF1) October 9, 2022
3:30PM NORRIS ON AUSSIES
Lando Norris will swap one Aussie drive for another next year as Daniel Ricciardo departs McLaren and Oscar Piastri comes in to replace him.
Norris is only one year older than Piastri and will carry the mantle of “the senior driver”.
With Ricciardo on his way out of F1, Norris was asked how he honestly felt about his teammate.
“Maybe not all drivers but we have had a lot of good moments,” he said.
“The media says nonsense that we’re not friends. I have a lot of respect for Daniel. I love him, he’s a great guy I hope to see him in the future in F1.”
As for next year with Piastri, how does the Briton feel about being the “experienced driver”?
“I guess I’m the guy with more experience. I can refer to this year’s car, Oscar won’t be able to do that. There’s a lot Oscar can bring to the team. I’m yet to find out (if he’s into gaming). When you’re in your first few years of F1 it takes time to get acclimatized, we will see.
3:10PM SPENDING CAP SCANDAL
Red Bull’s Max Verstappen could secure his second world title at the Japan Grand Prix but the race has been overshadowed by a lingering spending cap investigation.
Verstappen needs to win the race with the fastest lap to clinch the championship.
He will also retain his crown if he wins and Leclerc is third or lower.
But his opportunity to wrap things up is not the main topic of conversation at Suzuka.
Last week the FIA delayed its findings in the salary cap saga that has consumed the sport for a number of weeks.
Speculation that Red Bull and Aston Martin exceeded the $US145m spending limit has been rife.
Now, some big names have taken aim at the sport’s handling of the debacle which risks overshadowing Verstappen’s success should he win this afternoon.
“I don’t know how they can (police this) how can you get to the bottom of every single bit of funding unless you have an FIA accountant going across everything but the teams won’t allow that,” Di Resta said.
“The process is too long, this is 2021 we’re talking about and it’s almost the end of the season. It goes on too long.
“Why can’t the FIA say here’s the certificates for the ones that have done it right and these are the teams we are investigating, it brings unnecessary pressure and speculation.”
2:45PM RICCIARDO NOT DONE YET
Not done yet. Three words of defiance from Daniel Ricciardo’s manager who has denied his client’s decision not to race in 2023 is down to ego or demands.
After qualifying at the Japanese Grand Prix, Ricciardo conceded he would not be on the grid in 2023.
With Pierre Gasly and Nyck de Vries claiming two of the remaining four drives, Ricciardo’s options were Haas, Williams or a sabbatical.
Some have questioned whether Ricciardo wanting to race with an elite team or his salary expectations ruled him out of a drive.
His agent says absolutely not.
“None of this is about ego, unachievable demands, or a sudden lack of opportunity,” Nick Thimm posted to social media.
“This is about a man who was dealt a bad hand, now finding the right next opportunity. Uncovering a new project where he can work with a team that embraces his unique set of skills.
“A project where his experience can be applied. A process where he can reset and show his love for the game. And ultimately put himself in the best position to show the world what he’s capable of should he be given the chance. It’s a different approach yes, but it’s also a new day for the sport.
“Daniel’s maturity and experience is a matched by few on the grid; now more than ever. The honey badger will still be as close to the F1 grid as he can in 2023. He’s not done. And as we saw this season, anything can happen.”
2pm F1 SLAMS SPENDING CAP SAGA
Former F1 driver Paul Di Resta has taken aim at the FIA for its handling of the spending cap saga that has dominated the sport in recent weeks.
Amid speculation Red Bull and Aston Martin have exceeded the $US145m cap, the FIA delayed releasing the findings of its investigation until Monday.
Certificates and findings had been expected on Wednesday but a further delay has added fuel to speculation there is indeed a significant breach.
Any overspend carries with it significant sanctions - including teams being stripped of titles.
“I don’t know how they can (police this) how can you get to the bottom of every single bit of funding unless you have an FIA accountant going across everything but the teams won’t allow that,” Di Resta said.
“The process is too long, this is 2021 we’re talking about and it’s almost the end of the season. It goes on too long.
“Why can’t the FIA say here’s the certificates for the ones that have done it right and these are the teams we are investigating, it brings unnecessary pressure and speculation.”
Max Verstappen is in a good position to wrap up the world title in Japan with some conspiracy theorists suggesting that is what the FIA is waiting for.
Any sanctions in the aftermath pf a title win would mean that for the second consecutive year, the FIA’s ineptitude would be the talking point, not the newly crowned world champion.
HOW THEY START IN JAPAN
Front row Max Verstappen (NED/Red Bull) Charles Leclerc (MON/Ferrari)
2nd row Carlos Sainz (ESP/Ferrari) Sergio Perez (MEX/Red Bull)
3rd row Esteban Ocon (FRA/Alpine) Lewis Hamilton (GBR/Mercedes)
4th row Fernando Alonso (ESP/Alpine) George Russell (GBR/Mercedes)
5th row Sebastian Vettel (GER/Aston Martin) Lando Norris (GBR/McLaren)
6th row Daniel Ricciardo (AUS/McLaren) Valtteri Bottas (FIN/Alfa Romeo)
7th row Yuki Tsunoda (JPN/AlphaTauri) Zhou Guanyu (CHN/Alfa Romeo)
8th row Mick Schumacher (GER/Haas) Alexander Albon (THA/Williams)
9th row Pierre Gasly (FRA/AlphaTauri) Kevin Magnussen (DEN/Haas)
10th row Lance Stroll (CAN/Aston Martin) Nicholas Latifi (CAN/Williams)
CAN VERSTAPPEN WIN?
Max Verstappen gave himself a great chance to retain his Formula One world title at the Japanese Grand Prix after grabbing pole in Suzuka.
The Red Bull driver topped the timesheets in qualifying with a time of 1min 29.304sec, just 0.010sec ahead of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, his nearest championship rival. Carlos Sainz was third in the other Ferrari.
Verstappen then faced a nervous wait after stewards said they would investigate a scary on-track incident involving the Dutchman and McLaren’s Lando Norris. Verstappen was given a reprimand but will remain in pole.
He can clinch the title on Sunday if he wins the race with the fastest lap, no matter what his rivals do.
He will also retain his crown if he wins and Leclerc is third or lower. “I’m not thinking about it too much, just taking it day by day,” said the 25-year-old Verstappen, who has won 11 of 17 races this season.
“I think what was more important is that we’ve had a competitive car and clearly we had today in qualifying.
“I hope it’s going to be the same tomorrow in the race because we do need a perfect race to be able to win it tomorrow.”
A WARNING FROM A FORMER CHAMPION
Ricciardo will start the Japanese Grand Prix from 11th on the grid.
His time at McLaren has been tumultuous to say the least.
This season in particular Ricciardo has been publicly shamed by team owner Zak Brown and his contract termination was a less that respectful debacle.
He was consistently out performed by his teammate Lando Norris but perhaps the lowest point was the public backing he eventually received from his superiors despite them doing a deal with Piastri at the same time.
Nonetheless Ricciardo is the only driver to have won a race in a McLaren since 2012.
Whispers of a reserve driver position at Mercedes next season continue to get louder but the only certainty it seems is he will not be a starter.
Former F1 champion Jenson Button has warned against a move to Mercedes given Lewis Hamilton’s plans to drive on.
He also warned that anything more than 12 months out of the sport and its game over.
“Being a third driver for someone of his calibre, it’s a very, very strange situation he’s found himself in,” Button told Sky Sports.
“I don’t know what he would get out of being a third driver. He’s not a young driver, so he can’t drive the car next year in race weekends (free practice), it has to be a young driver. So he wouldn’t really get anything out of it.
“I guess he’ll probably think ‘well, Lewis might retire and then I’ll jump in his seat’, but Lewis says he’s going to be around for five years.
“So he would be waiting a long time.
“So it needs to be the team where he thinks he can get a seat for 2024, otherwise it’s game over because you get forgotten after a year in F1.”
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