Why Max Verstappen was crowned in Japan despite the confusion

Funny scene that took place during the Japanese Grand Prix this Sunday morning (French time). Faced with unpredictable weather and after a long break of around two hours, the Japanese meeting was able to be contested but did not complete its 53 laps initially scheduled, Max Verstappen hanging his 12^e victory of the season at the end of the 28^e passage, or a little more than 50% of the test.

At the time, the calculations showed an allocation of 19 points for Max Verstappen since the Grand Prix had not finished. It was without counting on the new FIA regulations put in place for the 2022 season after the fiasco of the 2021 Belgian Grand Prix where only one lap was counted after an eternal wait. Thus, this new scale proposed four points to make it easier for everyone:

• The winner pockets 6 points if at least two laps are completed and if the distance covered does not exceed 25% of the initial program.
• The winner pockets 13 points if the distance traveled represents between 25 and 50%
• The winner pockets 19 points if the distance covered is between 50 and 75%
• The winner pockets 25 points if the distance covered exceeds 75%

With 28 laps out of 53 contested, the distance covered represents almost 53% (52,83% to be precise). Thus, Max Verstappen should have been credited with 19 points at the finish, which forced him to wait for the United States Grand Prix (October 24) to hope to be crowned. But article 6.5 of the FIA ​​regulations for the 2022 season of Formula 1 hid a detail that had gone unnoticed.

The article in question indeed stipulates that this limitation of points awarded only comes into account if a Grand Prix cannot be restarted after an interruption. However, at Suzuka, the start of the Japanese Gran Prix was given before the race was interrupted and then finally restarted, never to be neutralized again. Thus, Max Verstappen collected the 25 points for victory unlike the 19 that we initially believed.

Verstappen, champion on paper and thanks to Pérez

In addition to the total confusion regarding the calculation of points, the now double world champion also became one thanks to his teammate Sergio Pérez. Upon arriving in the land of the rising sun, two scenarios presented themselves to the Batavian: winning and setting the best lap in the race regardless of the result of Charles Leclerc and Sergio Pérez, or score 8 points more than the first and 6 than the second. It’s ultimately thanks to the 2^e possibility that he was crowned early in the evening in Japan.

Winner with 25 points in his pocket, Max Verstappen had not signed the best lap in the race, returning to Guanyu-Zhou. On the line, he was ahead of Charles Leclerc while Sergio Pérez took 3^e place. But the rapid intervention of the race management allowed the Dutchman to leave Suzuka in the shoes of the champion.

Coming back into contact with Charles Leclerc on the last lap, Sergio Pérez pushed his rival into a mistake forcing him to cut the last chicane which allowed him to gain an advantage over the Mexican. Without much delay, the FIA ​​found the Monegasque guilty and imposed a 5-second penalty on him which dropped him to 3rd. As a result, Max Verstappen scored 10 points more than the Monegasque and 7 than his teammate. Enough to join Alberto Ascari, Graham Hill, Emerson Fittipaldi, Mika Häkkinen or even Fernando Alonso to the rank of double world champions. Not bad for someone who barely celebrated his 25th^e birthday a little over a week ago.

 

 

 

 

 

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