Verstappen seals second F1 title

SUZUKA (Japan), October 9

Red Bull’s Max Verstappen wrapped up a second successive Formula One title today with victory in a rain-shortened Japanese Grand Prix after his closest rival Charles Leclerc was hit with a post-race penalty.

Dutchman Verstappen had crossed the line ahead of the Ferrari driver who, defending against the other Red Bull of Sergio Perez, took the chequered flag a distant second.

But the Monegasque had five seconds added to his race time for cutting across the final chicane on the last lap which dropped him down to third. “It’s a crazy feeling of course as I didn’t expect it when I crossed the line,” said Verstappen amid confusion over whether reduced points under new rules introduced this year would apply with the race running to just over its halfway mark.

“Was it going to be half points, I didn’t know how many points I was going to get,” he added.

The sport’s governing FIA clarified that the reduced points rule only applies to races that are suspended and cannot be resumed.

Today’s race was halted after two laps due to heavy rain but it resumed a little over two hours later, with drivers completing 28 of the scheduled 53 laps and full points awarded. Verstappen as a result leaves Japan with a 113-point margin over Perez, who moved into second in the standings. — Reuters