Max Verstappen F1 title confusion sparked by rain chaos at Suzuka

After enduring a tense battle en route to winning his first F1 championship in 2021, Max Verstappen's second title-winning campaign was a much more tranquil affair with no major rival to compete against.

But the Dutchman was still met with a highly unusual scene when he clinched the 2022 crown at the Japanese Grand Prix.

When Verstappen crossed the finish line at a rain-soaked Suzuka on this day three years ago, he didn't know he had just secured his second world championship. Neither did Red Bull. Neither did Ferrari, which was holding onto hope that Charles Leclerc could claw back a huge deficit.

In fact, nobody in the paddock understood what had just transpired, despite the championship mathematics appearing straightforward beforehand.

The confusion was compounded by a frightening near-miss involving Pierre Gasly early in the grand prix. A recovery vehicle was deployed onto the track following a crash for Carlos Sainz in severely limited visibility while Gasly was still circulating at racing speed.

Gasly had pitted to remove an advertising board ripped from the wall by Sainz's crash and lodged in his AlphaTauri.

Critically, race control gave permission for the crane to move Sainz's car 14 seconds before Gasly exited the pits. When Gasly rejoined and drove to catch the safety car pack, he encountered the cranes working on the track in conditions of extremely poor visibility, sparking fury from the Frenchman.

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After the race resumed, Verstappen dominated the 28 of 53 scheduled laps en route to victory. 

But confusion stemmed from F1's own regulatory framework, which had been hastily amended following the farcical 2021 Belgian Grand Prix, where half-points were awarded for a single lap behind the safety car. 

For 2022, a sliding scale points system was introduced, meaning races completing less than 75% distance would award reduced points. A victory would earn 19 points instead of 25.

With only 28 of the scheduled 53 laps completed at Suzuka due to rain delays and red flags, everyone assumed the reduced system would apply. 

Red Bull were so convinced that Christian Horner revealed they considered pitting Verstappen for fastest lap to secure what they believed would be a crucial extra point.

"We thought we were going to be one point short," Horner explained. "So we were playing with the idea of pitting, but it was unsure whether Checo would pass Charles or not."

The FIA's interpretation hinged on precise wording that caught the entire paddock off guard. 

The reduced points rule only applied "if a race is suspended in accordance with Article 57 and cannot be resumed." 

Since Suzuka was suspended but then resumed and concluded under green flag conditions, albeit a lap early, the stewards determined this didn't meet the technical criteria for reduced points.

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Then-Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto conceded to universal uncertainty. "We were confused ourselves," he said. "We thought it would not be the full awards [of points]. So initially our calculation was such that [Verstappen] was not world champion."

Charles Leclerc's five-second penalty for cutting the final chicane while defending from Sergio Perez provided the ultimate nail in the coffin. Initially appearing to finish second, which would have kept the championship alive mathematically, Leclerc dropped to third place after the penalty was applied. This points swing proved decisive.

Verstappen earned 25 points for victory, Perez collected 18 for second, and Leclerc 15 for third. Combined with the full points allocation, this gave Verstappen an unassailable lead with four races remaining.

Horner did not hold back in criticising the regulatory framework, calling it "a mistake that wasn't included after the issues in Spa last year".

The confusion was so widespread that the F1 Commission was forced to amend the regulations ahead of the 2023 season.

Verstappen's championship celebration was ultimately delayed by the regulatory interpretation, leading to mass doubt in the minutes after the race. 

However, it did not dampen the Red Bull celebrations that followed as Verstappen further embedded himself in F1's history books.