SUZUKA: Red Bull’s Max Verstappen won his second Formula One world championship amid scenes of confusion on Sunday after closest rival Charles Leclerc was handed a five-second post-race penalty.
The Dutch driver won the race at Suzuka, with Ferrari’s Leclerc demoted from second to third behind Red Bull’s Sergio Perez.
The governing FIA said full points had been awarded for the rain-hit and shortened race.
The result on Sunday gave Verstappen an unassailable 113-point lead in the championship, making him only the third driver after Michael Schumacher and Sebastian Vettel to clinch the title with four races to spare.
Verstappen was only informed he had retained his title midway through the post-race TV interview, and even the driver himself was not sure if he had sealed the deal.
“It’s a crazy feeling, of course, as I didn’t expect it when I crossed the line,” said a surprised Verstappen.
The Dutchman started from the pole under pouring rain – which sowed chaos – only for the race to be stopped after two laps as several cars crashed. It resumed two hours later with 28 of the 53 laps completed and Verstappen leading the whole way – from the start and the restart.
