Max Verstappen won his second Formula 1 world championship after winning a chaotic, rain-shortened Japanese Grand Prix.
There was huge confusion at the checkered flag amid uncertainty over whether full or partial points would be awarded for a race in which only 29 of the scheduled 53 laps were completed.
With between 50% and 75% of the laps completed, most of the F1 paddock thought Verstappen would only receive 19 points for his win.
But for the Japanese GP there was a different interpretation of the rules, which state that the reduced points are only applied if a race is suspended “and cannot be resumed”.
Verstappen was clearly confused by the situation as the celebrations began and were then halted, but it was eventually confirmed that all points had been awarded, sealing the 25-year-old’s triumph with four runs of the season remaining.
“The first is a bit more emotional, the second is more beautiful,” Verstappen said.
“Looking back, what a year we’ve had so far. It was amazing. It’s something I never could have imagined. After last year, fighting until the end and then having again such a good car this year. I’m so grateful to everyone who contributed to this success.”
The Dutchman would have been denied the title had Charles Leclerc come second, but the Ferrari driver’s last-lap error earned him a five-second penalty – for leaving the track and gaining an advantage – which demoted him to third place behind Sergio Pérez’s other Red Bull.
Verstappen’s 13th victory in 18 races this season, and his sixth in the last seven rounds, gave him an unassailable 113-point lead in the world championship.
After coming through the most intense battles with Lewis Hamilton last year, Verstappen has been in a league of his own in 2022.
