Treacherous conditions, controversy, and a Champion crown were bestowed upon Suzuka for the return of the Japanese Grand Prix.
Persistent rainfall nearly caused the postponement of the Japanese Grand Prix, as visibility became an issue for drivers. Controversy struck again as the FIA is under scrutiny following a questionable decision that put the life of Alpha Tauri’s Pierre Gasly in danger. At the race’s end, a late time penalty spoiled the hopes for one driver and allowed another to be crowned World Champion.
1) Verstappen wins the title in dominant fashion
Back-to-back titles. Max Verstappen not only won his first Japanese Grand Prix but defended his title with little to no fight throughout the season. The Dutchman has a five-second time penalty handed to Leclerc during the post-race interviews to award him the points needed to win the 2022 title. After that, there was confusion around the paddock about whether or not Verstappen was truly the champion. As the points rewarded were meant to be less, but the FIA later confirmed the rule, while not quite clear, indicating full points were to be given. Once confirmed as the champion, Verstappen sprinted in celebration with his team to cap off an amazing season.
During the race, Verstappen pulled away from Leclerc and never looked back to obtain win number twelve of the year. His second title puts Verstappen with an elite company of winning consecutive titles. With four races remaining in the year, Verstappen can still chase the record for most wins in a season and secure the constructors for Red Bull.
2) The FIA needs to give answers now
Formula One’s governing body seems to always find a way to come under fire from fans, drivers, and the media. Following Sunday’s race, this is the final straw. Everyone within the F1 community is furious with the deployment of a tractor onto the track. Pierre Gasly has every right to be furious with this incident as he nearly collided with the tractor.
Did the FIA not learn from the horrific accident that took the life of Jules Bianchi? It clearly seems that they didn’t or that they don’t have control. Many drivers voiced their displeasure over social media. There was plenty of video evidence to depict how early the tractor came onto the track before cars made their way back to the pits.
All the fans want is an explanation. Who gave the marshalls the clearance to be on the track so quickly? Was Gasly deserving of a harsh penalty? Why were the lights on the tractor not bright enough for the drivers to see? The FIA needs to sit down and go over the regulations to improve when it is deemed safe for any marshall vehicle to come onto the track. Over the coming days, more news will come to the public giving their reason for their decisions. This offseason is bound to be another interesting one.
3) Vettel’s fine form continues
Sebastian Vettel’s farewell weekend in Suzuka was quite eventful. In all three practice sessions, Vettel placed towards the bottom end of the grid. In qualifying, he got his Aston Martin into Q3 and started ninth on race day. During the race, he made contact with Alonso, spun, and was last by the end of one lap. He managed to get back into the race following Carlos Sainz’s incident and continued on. Vettel rolling the dice to pit for the intermediates paid off as he was setting a blistering pace while others were still on the wets. The battle with Alonso brought back memories of when the two battled during their prime. It was only right that fans voted Vettel Driver of the Day. He is capping off a luxurious career by giving the fans everything that he has left in the tank.
4) Latifi finally scores points
Nicolas Latifi fans can now celebrate as the Canadian driver had himself a great drive resulting in a ninth-place finish. He was the only driver on the grid who had yet to score points and now has two. Latifi, who started nineteenth, took advantage of the treacherous racing conditions off the start to advance a few positions. The transition from the wet to the intermediate tire is where Latifi managed to maintain himself in the top ten. Following the race, Twitter went insane as the phrase “Goatifi” was trending to praise Latifi’s result. Unfortunately, it is too late for Latifi to persuade for his seat, as he will be parting ways with Williams at the end of the season.
5) F1 Tracks should include lights
Sunday’s race was the third race (Monaco, Singapore) this season where it did not reach its full completion due to the time limit rule. Heavy rain brought a delay to the race, and many speculated that another Spa 2021 result was on the cusps. Luckily the race was able to resume with just over forty minutes remaining. Despite there being a two-hour race limit, it is time for F1 to require tracks to invest in lights around the circuit.
Other motorsports like IndyCar, NASCAR, and Endurance racing compete on tracks that light up as dark skies settle in. While there are night races during the season, it would benefit both drivers and fans to experience races going from day to night. Adding a requirement of lights to tracks moving forward could help end the two-hour race limit rule and provide fans with a bigger spectacle every race weekend.
Championship Standings
The race for the title is over now that Max Verstappen has clinched the World Championship. Although, Sergio Perez has overtaken Charles Leclerc for second place in the standings.
- Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing – 366 points
- Sergio Perez, Red Bull Racing – 253 points
- Charles Leclerc, Ferrari – 252 points
- George Russell, Mercedes – 207 points
- Carlos Sainz, Ferrari – 202 points
Next Race
- United States Grand Prix
- Sunday, October 23rd – 3:00 P.M. EST on ESPN
- Circuit of the Americas
- Previous Winner: Max Verstappen
