SUZUKA, Japan – It wasn’t until Max Verstappen was about to step onto the podium that he knew for sure he is a double world champion.
It is said that he won this year’s title shortly after getting out of the car and completing his first post-race interview, but he doesn’t quite believe it. Then his own Red Bull engineers, the sharpest minds in the sport, advised he was still one point short, meaning he would have to finish tenth or higher at next round in Austin to grab it there.
But the initial calculations by Red Bull (and most of the team) did not take into account the exact wording of Article 6.5 of the FIA Sports Regulations. Along with pretty much everyone else, Verstappen believes he will have 19 points off his Suzuka win as the race has run to just 28 of the planned 53 laps. That would only give him a seven-point advantage over his closest rival Charles Leclerc, who was relegated to third place by a post-race penalty, and he needs eight points to sure about the second title mathematically.
But upon a closer look at the wording of the sports regulations, it becomes clear that the awarding of miniatures is only effective if a shortened race “cannot continue” after it has been stopped. Sunday’s Japanese Grand Prix was red flaged for two hours due to heavy rain, but then resumed before it ran against the three-hour maximum time limit a race can take. Technically it’s back on and therefore full points will be awarded.
In the rapidly fading light at Suzuka, formula one suddenly realized that it had just crowned a new champion. Even the engineers of rival teams were scanning through copies of the sports regulations to double-check the news that is currently being broadcast by F1 around the world, but when Verstappen stepped onto the podium to receive the trophy and was awarded the trophy. interviewed by 2009 world champion Jenson Button, no doubt.
“Honestly, I don’t mind that it’s a bit confusing, I find it actually quite funny!” Verstappen talks about the unusual turn of events. “Because at the end of the day, it won’t change the outcome.
“When I cross the line [and Leclerc was still second] Anyway it’s still not enough even if you give it full marks, in which case it won’t change anything. “
While it all seems pretty ridiculous, it’s also somewhat academic due to the overwhelming success of the Verstappen title this year. Furthermore, it pales in comparison to last year’s controversy in Abu Dhabi, when certain provisions of the regulation were ignored – rather than strictly adhered to – by then-race director Michael Masi to award the prize. gave Verstappen the championship shot on the final lap.
The confusion over the number of points to be awarded on Sunday stems from the adverse reaction to last year’s Belgian Grand Prix at Spa Francorchamps. On that day, only two laps were completed behind the safety car due to inclement weather conditions, but half a point was still awarded to the top ten finishers.
After the odd “race”, a rule change was introduced by the FIA to ensure at least two laps (without safety cars) must be completed for any points to be awarded. Point allocation will then be expanded depending on how well the race is completed, with full points awarded only if 75% of the distance is completed. Under that scaling formula, a race that runs the distance between 50% and 75% – the race Sunday the bracket seems to fall in – will count points for the top ten drivers, including 19 for the win, 14 for the win. for second place and 12 for third.
But in those regulations, the FIA dropped the “cannot continue” clause, a provision that previously existed in the sports regulations but never came into force because races are often abandoned due to weather. worse than pausing and starting again. It created a loophole that wasn’t intended to uphold the regulations but ultimately led to Sunday’s confusion.
“I think actually when you read the regulations what is supposed to be fixed after Spa is not defined in regs, all of a sudden we won!” Red Bull manager Christian Horner said. “It was the best finish and almost the opposite of expectations.
“The expectation, even on the pit wall, was that we had a point to go and get to Austin, but when it happened, we had more than enough points.
Asked if the rule would be adjusted for the future, Horner said: “I certainly will.
“I think it was a mistake and the regulations after Spa last year have not been revised, because we have the strong impression that only after 75 percent of the race points will be scored.”
Verstappen hits new heights
But the confusion in the aftermath of the race had no bearing on Verstappen’s record. Although the gap was reduced, his performance on Sunday was absolutely superior and was one of the bravest defenses of a position seen this season as he ran around the corner. first drenched in water to keep Leclerc flying into the opening lap of the race.
Horner said: “He had a bad start but then he followed the old track around the outside and he was fully committed. “I talked to him during halftime [before the race restarted] and he just said, ‘look, I’m going,’ and Charles gave him enough space and he moved. It was a great race. “
It’s easy to look at Verstappen’s recent dominance, both in Japan and a five-win streak from the French Grand Prix in July to the Italian Grand Prix in September, and assume that the title was never in doubt. . However, after three rounds this year, he is 46 points behind Leclerc and has had to retire twice in three rounds. Verstappen’s ability to produce remarkable results is almost taken for granted at this stage of his career, but what stood out at the start of the season was the way he kept his composure when his main opponent significantly ahead.
“There might be a day where you’re a little sad or two, but then you’re calling and talking to people about what we can do? What can we fix and how to move forward ?” Verstappen said. “And you get to the next race, everyone smiles again and we all have the same goal.
“So that’s the thing, that’s a good part of the team. You always stay neutral in terms of success and disappointment. Because I think at the end of the day, that works best because, you have to keep going. Of course, you know, now, it’s great, winning all these races and winning the championship.
“But then tomorrow, you wake up, like ‘we still need to win a few more games’. That’s just the mentality of the team.”
Horner believes Verstappen’s failed approach this year has something to do with the pressure that was lifted when he beat Lewis Hamilton to his first title last year.
“I think last year was a heavyweight showdown between the two champions, and I think if we won the championship last year, it liberated a lot,” he said. “It just took that pressure and expectation off his shoulders and he just went out and smashed it in the park this year.”
However, Verstappen’s neutrality through the ups and downs this season shouldn’t be confused with a lack of passion or commitment. At the Singapore Grand Prix a week ago, he was furious when his team sent him out of qualifying without enough fuel to complete his final pole position attempt. In dry conditions, Verstappen had the speed to easily defend the turret, but was ordered to back off from his first proper attempt and then was called into the pit on the second. He was so angry that he decided to skip his technical briefing the same night, saying “it wouldn’t be useful to talk”.
With title success inevitable even in Singapore, Verstappen could simply shrug off his team’s missteps. But that is not his nature. A failed shot at victory still hurts as much as it did at the start of the season, and then he’s even more determined to get back on track in Japan and resume his dominance. The same can be applied to the last four rounds, where Verstappen, who has recorded 12 wins this year, could break the record for wins in a season, currently 13.
“There’s no real pressure anymore but of course I still want to try and win more races,” he said on Sunday night. “Because with the car we have now, you have to try and take advantage of it.
“You don’t know if you’ll ever have that again, next year, in the years to come. So we’ll definitely try to get a few more wins.”
