Dutchman Max Verstappen (Red Bull) revalidated this Sunday, winning the rainy and crazy Japanese Grand Prix, the title of Formula 1 world champion, in an interrupted race of more than 120 minutes

Dutchman Max Verstappen (Red Bull) won the Japanese Grand Prix this Sundaythe eighteenth in the 2022 Formula 1 World Championship, revalidating the title obtained last year in the nut ‘Great Circus’.

Verstappen, 25, claimed his 32nd F1 victory – his 12th of the season – by winning ahead of his teammate, Mexican Sergio Perez Yes Monegasque Charles Leclerc (Ferrari), who crossed the finish line second, but was penalized a few minutes later for having gained a position by going off the track, in a crazy and confusing finish, which in a few seconds changed the final resolution of the championship. In a few moments of genuine madness, since it was unclear if full points would be awarded or not, since the test was solved with the three-hour maximum limit.

The race was interrupted after the accidents, at the first change, Spaniard Carlos Sainz (Ferrari) and Thai Alex Albon (Williams), which they abandoned after these sets, decreeing a safety car, first; and red flag, later. But another one of the great scares took them Frenchman Pierre Gasly (Alpha Tauri)who then found a crane on the track, recovering the ghost of the fatal accident -eight years ago, on this circuit- which ended up costing him his life his compatriot Jules Bianchiwhich collided with another puller tractor.

Frenchman Esteban Ocon (Alpine) and seven-time English world champion Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) they finished fourth and fifth respectively, a race which, due to the aforementioned incidents, was resolved after the maximum regulation three hours, instead of the scheduled 53 laps.

Spaniard Fernando Alonso (Alpine) finished seventh. The double Asturian world champion crossed the finish line behind the German Sebastian Vettel (Aston Martin) -four times winner of the competition- in a mad race that had a crazier outcome, in which Verstappen was celebrated first , before telling him that he was mathematically not champion and rectifying to announce the opposite.

Englishman George Russell (Mercedes) finished eighth at Suzuka; and also scored in Japan Canadian Nicholas Latifi (Williams) -which will not continue in F1 next year- and Briton Lando Norris (McLaren)who finished ninth and tenth respectively.

The reaction of the double F1 champion

“It’s really crazy, I have mixed feelings after this victory (…) Looking back, it’s been an amazing year. I am very grateful to all the team members, who worked so hard“Commented Verstappen after winning his twelfth victory of the season this Sunday, the thirty-second since he raced in F1.

“The sensational work we have done with Honda and won the championship twice with them is something really moving.especially here,” ‘Mad Max’ told Suzuka, the circuit owned by his team’s rider.

“I am very proud of what we have achieved and that we have also achieved it herecommented the new Dutch sporting idol after defending the title with four races to go.