Dutch driver Max Verstappen of the Red Bull team secured his second consecutive Formula One World Championship title after winning the Japanese Grand Prix on Sunday, achieving his twelfth victory in a season where he dominated the competition. The race was halted for more than two hours due to rain, but Verstappen ultimately claimed the championship title thanks to a penalty imposed on Ferrari's Charles Leclerc.
Leclerc finished in second place ahead of Red Bull's Sergio Perez. However, Leclerc made a mistake on the last lap and went off the track, which allowed him to maintain his position ahead of Perez. Initially, officials announced they would consider this incident before deciding to investigate it.
Moments later, Leclerc was penalized with a five-second time penalty, causing him to lose second place to Perez, a result that was sufficient for Verstappen to be crowned World Champion for the second consecutive year.
In the following minutes, there was significant confusion as the announcement of Verstappen's championship was made, only for officials to later inform him that it was a mistake due to only 50 percent of the race laps being completed, meaning drivers would not receive full points. However, officials indicated that the race was not stopped at the end, which meant that the drivers were eligible for full points, allowing the Dutch driver to be crowned champion.
