Max Verstappen of Red Bull has been crowned the Formula One world champion of 2022 after his win at the Japanese Grand Prix on Sunday was followed by the confirmation that Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc has dropped to third place from second after being handed a five seconds penalty. 

Leclerc was replaced by Sergio Perez, another driver from the Red Bull team, for the second spot. Leclerc’s third-place finish at the Suzuka Grand Prix meant that the Dutchman’s points tally is out of reach for all the other drivers. 

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Sunday’s race was as chaotic as it gets after the start got delayed by 40 minutes due to the rain. The length of the track was also shortened to accommodate it within the lost time. 

The moment that saw Leclerc drop to third came in the final few minutes of the race as the Ferrari driver went off track right at the penultimate corner of the race. Even though he emerged in the second position still, the incident was noted by the stewards and an official investigation was launched.

After a few minutes, the announcement came that Leclerc has been awarded a five seconds penalty for the incident which instantly sealed Verstappen’s fate as the F1 world champion.

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It created a lot of controversy and confusion among the fans. Many asked if Verstappen’s teammate Perez had intentionally hurled Leclerc to help the Dutchman. However, the rules are absolute and cannot be challenged.

The 25-year-old, however, had not realised that he has won the race. Jonny Herbert, the trackside reporter, went to the champion just as he stopped his car, and announced, ‘Max Verstappen – you are the world champion.’ Without a reply, the Dutchman ran to his girlfriend Kelly Piquet in the stands amidst a roaring crowd.

This is the Dutchman’s second world championship.