The Dutchman Max Verstappen (Red Bull) revalidated this Sunday, by winning the rainy and crazy Grand Prix of Japan, the title of Formula One world champion, in a race interrupted for more than 120 minutes, which was resolved with the maximum three hours , instead of the planned 53 laps; and that, for that reason, generated confusion in the interpretation of the regulations, which caused that in a matter of a few minutes the interested party went from celebrating, to telling him that he was not yet a champion: before rectifying and celebrating his new and indisputable feat sporty.
Verstappen won the race ahead of his teammate, the Mexican Sergio Pérez -triumphant a week ago in Singapore- and the Monegasque Charles Leclerc (Ferrari), who had crossed the finish line second, but was sanctioned with five seconds for recovering illegally -skipping the last ‘chicane’- the place that ‘Checo’ had taken from him.
➦ Today they did the 1st and 2nd in the #SuzukaGP.
➦ Max Verstappen secured the two-time world championship.
➦ Checo Pérez is second in the drivers’ championship.
➦ Red Bull is first in the constructors’ championship.They continue to make history together.
THE DUPLA OF DUPLAS. pic.twitter.com/EhuTV7Kggf
– Undefeated (@InvictosSomos) October 9, 2022
In a test that raised a huge controversywith the appearance on the runway of a crane which the Frenchman Pierre Gasly (Alpha Tauri) narrowly avoided, on a circuit where, eight years earlier, his compatriot Jules Bianchi had suffered the accident that caused his death: when he collided, precisely, with another extractor tractor.
The rain, the accidents -the Spaniard Carlos Sainz (Ferrari) and the Thai Alex Albon (Williams) left at the first change-, the long interruption and above all, the presence of the crane and the final confusion about whether the title remained mathematically certified or they did not tarnish an outcome that would have deserved to be tremendous.
After what the young dutch star rise to 32 his number of wins in F1 signing his twelfth victory of the season, in a race in which the other Spaniard, the double Asturian world champion Fernando Alonso (Alpine) finished seventh.
In the absence of four races, Verstappen was also placed within a shot of one of the historical record of successes in the same course (13) shared by two Germans: the seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher and Sebastian Vettel, four-time winner of the contest.
In any case, the champion had a name and surname since before the contest went on vacation, when the new idol of the Netherlands dealt the final psychological blow to the World Cup by exhibiting in Hungary. On a track where it is almost impossible to overtake, where, apart from starting tenth, he allowed himself the luxury of spinning.
Sports super-predator to unsuspected limits, when he returned from the break he won, starting fourteenth, in Belgium, and added two other victories in front of his enthusiastic fans, in Zandvoort; and before the no less fanatic Italian fans, in Monza.
‘Mad Max’, part two. What could have already been accomplished a week ago, in Singapore, was confirmed this Sunday in Suzuka. And the Red Bull captain is already a two-time world champion, in the absence of the last four Grand Prix: those of the United States, Mexico -at the Hermanos Rodríguez Autodrome in Mexico City-, Brazil and Abu Dhabi. Where on November 20 the tournament will be closed definitively.
