Verstappen clinched the 2022 title with a dominant victory in Suzuka last weekend, with four races still to go.There was some confusion after the flag about whether or not full points would be awarded despite the shortened race distance, but unlike the Abu Dhabi finale last year, the success was not clouded by controversy.It was the sixth drivers’ title for the team after Sebastian Vettel …Keep reading
Despite growing rainfall in the lead-up to lights out at Suzuka, the race started as scheduled at 2pm local time, only for it to be red flagged after two laps due to the conditions.A two-hour wait followed before the race resumed with 40 minutes left on the three-hour time limit, giving enough time for 28 laps of the 53-lap distance to be completed.Full points were still awarded for the …Keep reading
After the race was resumed following the red flag, drivers soon began to move from wet to intermediate tyres, with most coming in at the end of the second flying lap.With his teammate Ocon coming in on that lap, Alonso was told to stay out so that Alpine wouldn’t have to double-stack him.When the Spaniard came in on the next lap, Daniel Ricciardo was the only other driver who was yet to …Keep reading
The red flag delays for heavy rain meant we only got 28 laps of racing action at Suzuka before the three-hour time limit expired, with Verstappen crossing the line first.It was only in parc ferme he found out he was champion when the FIA handed Charles Leclerc a post-race penalty – yet most thought the points gap was still not big enough.But thanks to a quirk in F1’s regulations that …Keep reading
After some delay, the FIA announced on Monday afternoon that Red Bull had breached F1’s financial regulations with a “minor overspend” of the $145m dollar 2021 cost cap, while Aston Martin and Williams were deemed to be in procedural breach of the rules.Following the announcement, Red Bull expressed its “surprise and disappointment” at the FIA’s verdict.“We note the findings by the FIA of …Keep reading
But rather than this being the end of a process that has already been under the spotlight for a while, what happens next is potentially more intriguing as the governing body moves towards potential punishments.The matter looks almost certain to be drawn out though, with F1’s Financial Regulations explicit in the formal process that needs to be gone through.Plus, the procedural breaches …Keep reading
Following intense speculation since the Singapore Grand Prix that two squads had been found to have spent more than the circa $145 million limit in 2021, motor racing’s governing body formally published its findings on Monday.In a statement, it said that all teams had been issued with their compliance certificates apart from Red Bull, Aston Martin and Williams.The Williams breach was in …Keep reading
Max Verstappen clinched what had long been expected with his win at the 2022 Japanese Grand Prix: this year’s drivers’ title crown. It makes him a double world champion at 25 and now he’s close to breaking Formula 1’s record for most wins in a single season, with four events still left to run.But Verstappen’s title celebrations were overshadowed by the chaos and confusion during and …Keep reading
The Red Bull driver converted pole into victory at the Suzuka Circuit, after a lengthy delay following an opening lap crash for Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz and heavy rain forcing a restart to be delayed.The Dutchman was never headed once racing resumed, as title rival Charles Leclerc was demoted to third post-race after cutting the final chicane on the last lap, promoting Verstappen’s team-mate …Keep reading
Verstappen’s title was confirmed when Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc was penalised five seconds soon after the race concluded, which dropped him from second place to third.Who is leading the 2022 F1 World Championship Drivers’ points?Red Bull Racing’s two-time champion Verstappen scored 25 points at Suzuka, compared to Leclerc’s 15 rather than 18. That meant Verstappen’s lead in the …Keep reading