Verstappen takes second straight drivers’ title with Japan win

Red Bull driver Max Verstappen of the Netherlands celebrates with his team after winning the Japanese Formula One Grand Prix at the Suzuka Circuit in Suzuka, central Japan, yesterday

Max Verstappen is now a two-time Formula One world champion, both titles awarded under bizarre and unprecedented circumstances long after he crossed the finish line.

The Red Bull driver won the rain-shortened Japanese Grand Prix yesterday and didn’t learn he was champion until F1’s governing body penalized Charles Leclerc after the race.

“The championship obviously did not come the way this time around,” Verstappen initially said after climbing from his car following his 12th victory of the season. The Dutchman even apologized to the crowd on the track’s public address system.

Seconds later, Verstappen was told he was a two-time world champion and crew members and friends suffocated him with hugs.

“Once I crossed the line I thought: ‘It was an amazing race, good points again. But I’m not world champion yet.’”

The 25-year-old said he was tipped off when his mechanics started to cheer, but said he was still confused.

“I don’t mind it was a little confusing,” he said. “I find it actually quite… funny.”

Verstappen’s first title was won in last year’s season finale at Abu Dhabi, where seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton dominated the race until a late caution. It was then that race control set in motion an unprecedented sequence of events when since-fired race director Michael Masi allowed for a late restart.

Verstappen passed Hamilton to win the race and his first championship, but Mercedes disputed the way the race ended and the teams argued with the FIA for hours before Verstappen was finally, officially, named champion and able to celebrate.

Two titles for Verstappen signals a changing of the guard in F1, even if Verstappen’s championship-clinching races will forever be remembered for their controversial endings.

In Suzuka, Verstappen started from the pole in pouring rain only for the race to be stopped after two laps as several cars crashed. The race resumed two hours later, but only 28 of the 53 laps were completed and Verstappen led the entire way.

The Belgian Grand Prix a year ago was not completed in the rain and F1 for the sixth time in history awarded only half points for that shortened event. So nearly all the teams figured Sunday’s race was only going to be worth half points again.

The entire paddock seemed surprised when the FIA then ruled full points would be awarded. But even that wasn’t enough: Leclerc received a post-race penalty that dropped the Ferrari driver from second to third and officially gave Verstappen the points margin needed to clinch the title with four races remaining.

“So then we had enough points, so we were world champions again,” summarized Verstappen. “It’s a great feeling, but when I crossed the line I didn’t believe that we would have won the title right there.”

The race was messy from the start in the rain when Carlos Sainz Jr. spun and was knocked out of the race, and Chinese driver Zhou Guanyu also had a dramatic spin but continued.

Organizers stopped the race after two laps.

Pierre Gasly complained on his radio that he passed a recovery vehicle that was improperly on the track as the safety car emerged just as the race was red-flagged. It triggered rage throughout the paddock because in 2014, French driver Jules Bianchi collided with a recovery vehicle on the Suzuka track. Bianchi was placed in an induced coma and died nine months later, and he was one of Gasly’s closest friends. STEPHEN WADE, SUZUKA, MDT/AP