Max Verstappen clinched his second Formula 1 world championship on Sunday in a chaotic and rain-soaked Japanese Grand Prix.
But in a dramatic twist, the Red Bull Racing driver took the checkered flag without realizing what he had achieved.
It wasn’t until the post-race imposition of a penalty for his nearest rival, Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc, and a decision by the officials to award full points for the shortened race that the confusion turned to clarity and the Dutch driver’s title victory was cemented.
“To be honest, I don’t mind that it was a little bit confusing,” Verstappen told reporters. “I find it actually quite funny.”
The result puts Verstappen an insurmountable 113 points clear of the competition with four races to go. His win at the Suzuka Circuit continues a dominant run in the 2022 season for the 25-year-old racer, who is already drawing comparisons to the all-time greats in the sport. The race was temporarily halted by a red flag after two laps due to heavy rain and a frenzied start.
Leclerc crossed the line in second place, but the Monegasque was handed a five-second penalty for cutting the final chicane in a battle with Red Bull’s other driver, Sergio Perez, which dropped him to third. Even then, Verstappen said he didn’t think he had won the championship because the race hadn’t completed full distance.
Once I crossed the line, I was like, ‘OK, that was an amazing race. Good points again, but not World Champion yet.’ Then I did my interview after the race. And then suddenly my mechanics started to cheer and I was like, ‘What’s going on?’ And then I realized that Checo (Perez) was second instead of Charles. But I still didn’t know if it was full points, half points or whatever is 75%,” Verstappen said.
An official “came to me and he said that I was the world champion. So then we celebrated,” Verstappen continued. “And then suddenly people were telling me, ‘No, you’re still missing a point.’ So it was like, ‘Oh, that’s amazing. That’s a bit weird.’ But then eventually we had enough points so then we were world champion again.”
In the immediate aftermath of the race, fans and analysts on social media criticized the uncertainty surrounding the new rule, which was established this year. It imposes a multitiered points system after complaints over a rained-out race in Belgium last year, which resulted in points being awarded after two laps behind a safety car, despite a lack of meaningful race-day competition.
Yuki Tsunoda is a Japanese racing driver who is racing for Scuderia AlphaTauri in Formula One. Supported by Honda since 2016 through the Honda Formula Dream Project, he was the 2018 Japanese F4 champion and in 2019
Yuki Tsunoda will be expected to take a forward step and lead AlphaTauri next season after Pierre Gasly’s decision to depart for
Yuki Tsunoda has taken the positives from a tough second season with AlphaTauri, insisting that they will bounce back together after the team dropped from sixth to ninth in the constructors’ standings under F1’s new technical regulations.
AlphaTauri were a consistent points-scoring operation before the sport’s rules reset, with standout recent results including Pierre Gasly’s victory at the 2020 Italian Grand Prix and another podium finish in Azerbaijan last year.
However, the 2022 campaign –which heralded overhauled car designs – saw them mostly limited to minor points finishes and, after narrowly losing out to Haas, the Italian team wound up ninth in the championship, ahead only of Williams.
But despite this disappointment, summed up by a frustrating run to P11 at the Abu Dhabi finale, Tsunoda feels he “learned lots of things” during his sophomore F1 season, and paid tribute to outgoing team mate Pierre Gasly.
Speaking after the Yas Marina race, Tsunoda said: “The last six or seven laps, the tyre was good, then suddenly the tyre dropped and I couldn’t keep up the pace from the fronts. I felt there was a good chance to score points, but I couldn’t keep up the pace. It’s a shame, but at the same time I did my best.”
Schumacher began his career in karting in 2008, progressing to the German ADAC Formula 4 by 2015. After winning the 2018 FIA F3 European Championship, he progressed to Formula 2 in 2019, and won the 2020 Formula 2 Championship. He is the son of seven-time Formula One World Champion Michael Schumacher, nephew of Ralf Schumacher and cousin of David Schumacher.
Schumacher was born in Vufflens-le-Château, and grew up in Gland. He is the son of seven-time Formula One World Champion Michael Schumacher and Western riding European Champion Corinna Schumacher. His uncle Ralf Schumacher is also a retired racing driver and former Formula One driver. His cousin David Schumacher is a racing driver as well. Schumacher is the step-nephew of Sebastian Stahl and grandson of Elisabeth and Rolf Schumacher.
Schumacher drove for the Haas team in 2021 after signing a multi-year contract, alongside Nikita Mazepin, with whom he raced in go-karts.He chose to race with the number 47 as his two favourite numbers, 4 and 7, were already in use by Lando Norris and Kimi Räikkönen respectively. Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto said that he expected Schumacher to have a “very difficult” first season, but added that he believed he could drive for Ferrari as early as 2023.
Schumacher qualified nineteenth for his debut race, the Bahrain Grand Prix, ahead of teammate Mazepin. He spun on the first lap but was able to continue, eventually finishing last of the remaining drivers in sixteenth place. At the next race, the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, he crashed in front of the pit lane exit during a safety car period, breaking off his front wing, and went on to finish sixteenth. He crashed heavily in practice for the Monaco Grand Prix and the team was unable to repair his car in time for qualifying. He performed one of the only on-track overtakes of the Grand Prix, passing Mazepin at the Grand Hotel Hairpin on the opening lap.[40] At the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, he overtook Mazepin shortly before the finish line, beating him by 0.074 seconds to claim thirteenth place.
Welcome to the official Formula One online store, the one-stop shop for the high-octane sport of F1, specialising in distributing the latest and greatest F1 and Grand Prix merchandise, while stocking an unrivalled range of authentic and licenced teamwear, caps, fan apparel and accessories. Celebrate this year’s world champion with official Max Verstappen 2022 Formula 1 World Champion merchandise and memorabilia. Approved by the official FIA Formula One World Championship to supply race fans with the ultimate in F1 product choice, the F1 online store has just about everything an F1 enthusiast might need to support their favourite teams and drivers, across the thrilling Formula 1
The F1 online store is also home to exclusive F1 accessories, original F1 gifts, authentic F1 car parts and dynamic F1 art. F1 followers can honour their all-time heroes with our multiple legacy lines, where iconic figures across the sport’s rich history, from Ayrton Senna to Alain Prost to Michael Schumacher, are rightfully and respectfully represented. With buying and delivery options making purchases easier than ever, customers are able to get their hands on F1 merchandise quickly and efficiently at checkout.
Verstappen led from the start of the race, only giving up his lead briefly to Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc in the pitstop cycle. The race was spiced up by divergent tyre strategies between Leclerc and the second Red Bull of Sergio Perez in their fight for second in the World Championship.
The one-stopping Leclerc was caught by two-stopper Perez in the closing stages, aided by tyre information from Verstappen, who was also on a one-stop out front.
But Perez just couldn’t get close enough to attempt a move, so Leclerc took second by 1.3s, both in the race and the points.
Verstappen just held his pole advantage on the run to Turn 1, the majority of the field starting on the medium-compound tyres, ahead of Perez, Leclerc, Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) and Carlos Sainz (Ferrari). On the run to Turn 6, Sainz lunged inside Hamilton and sent him wide on the exit, the Mercedes briefly being sent airborne over the kerb.
Hamilton initially kept his position, after straight-lining the apex of Turn 7, but was asked to allow Sainz back in front, which he did on Lap 4. A lap later, Hamilton DRS-ed past Sainz into Turn 9, but Sainz stayed in DRS range and repaid the favour at the same corner four laps later.
In the second Mercedes, George Russell then overtook Hamilton – who was complaining of a loss of power – for fifth.
Verstappen pulled out a 2.7s lead over Perez by Lap 10, with Leclerc and Sainz equidistantly spaced by 3s behind them. Behind the Mercedes duo, Lando Norris ran seventh for McLaren, while, in his last-ever Grand Prix, Sebastian Vettel duelled with the Alpines of Esteban Ocon and Fernando Alonso.
Ocon was the first of the top 10 to pit for hard tyres on Lap 15, followed by Perez and Russell (who had a very slow stop and was released into the path of Norris, resulting in a 5s time penalty) a lap later. Perez rejoined battling Vettel, which cost him time in his battle for second with Leclerc – both in the race and the World Championship standings.
Sainz pitted on Lap 18, and also got caught up behind Vettel, as Verstappen and Leclerc ran long in the top two spots. Verstappen stopped on Lap 20, allowed Leclerc to lead until he pitted two laps later. A slow stop meant he rejoined just in front of Sainz but way behind Perez, who caught Verstappen in this stint and was 2s behind his teammate by half distance.
Leclerc closed up on Perez, who pitted again for new hards on Lap 34 – as teams juggled the pros and cons of committing to a one- or two-stop strategy. Ironically, Leclerc was told to pit if Perez didn’t – so the scenario could have been flipped.
Sainz and Russell pitted for a second time on Lap 40, Russell taking his 5s penalty at this point which allowed the one-stopping Hamilton to be well ahead.
Perez was delayed in having to pass and then repass Hamilton as their strategies converged with 12 laps to go, Hamilton using the second DRS zone to good effect. But once clear, Perez had to chase down the 10s gap to the one-stopping Leclerc in second. Sainz caught and passed Hamilton for fourth, just as Hamilton was forced to slow with a hydraulic problem and he toured in to retire – the team’s first mechanical retirement of the season.
Despite being told by Verstappen that he could go “full send” on the tyres, Perez didn’t have sufficient pace to get close enough to get into Leclerc’s DRS range on the final lap.
The Fountainbleau is pulling out all the stops for the very first Formula 1 weekend in Miami and the 3-night event at the iconic beachfront hotel is the place to be. Co-produced and in partnership with unKommon events, The Creative and Capture Studios, the live concert series will feature performances by David Guetta, Calvin Harris, Claptone, Meduza, Vintage Culture, Loud Luxury, Morten, DJ Ruckus, Plastik Funk, and more. General admission is $300 per ticket while big spenders can opt for VIP packages and private cabanas, ranging from $5,000 to $55,000.
Spicy Vodka Rigatoni but beachside? Yes, please. After a sold-out pop-up during Art Basel last December, the upscale Italian red sauce spot is setting up a Supper Club on the sand from May 5-8th for American Express Card members. Featuring some of the greatest hits from the Michelin-starred restaurant, the event will feature surprise performances. “We are excited to work with American Express to bring our very distinctive style of fun, high energy, and fine dining to the beach,” said Jeff Zalaznick, Major Food Group co-Founder, in a release. “Our guests can expect an evening featuring over-the-top food and special live performances during one of the most exciting weekends in Miami.”
No worries we’ve got you covered for this formula 1 Sunday. All your going to need is the following:
• Great party snacks aka (lots of beer)
• An area to watch the race live
• Great friends who also enjoy the race And your all set!
Recently opened NYC nightclub Nebula is also heading south for Formula 1 weekend, with an impressive lineup of talent. Taking over thedeck at Wynwood Marketplace, the Nebula pop-up will feature Mr. Pauer, Bass Jackers and Gregs. Kozlow to kick things off; the night of the race is a main event, with DJ Alesso closing out the weekend during the VIP Nebula SkyLoft party on Sunday, May 8th.
The race had two different names believe it or not, the first world championship race had two titles. Officially it was the Grand Prix d’Europe the first time that title had ever gone to a race outside Italy or France but as the race was held on UK soil it incorporated the British Grand Prix. Unlike today when the season opening event is traditionally held in March, the race took place on May 13.
Only six world championship season openers have been held later in the year. They were: 1951 (May 27), 1952 (May 18), 1961 (May 14), 1962 (May 20), 1963 (May 26) and 1966 (May 22).
Woodcote was the first corner the drivers tackled from 1952 until 2011 Woodcote was Silverstone’s final bend, but for the inaugural world championship event the sweeping right hander was the 4.6km circuit’s first corner and thus the first corner tackled in the history of F1 racing.
From there the drivers would take on six other turns Copse, Maggots, Becketts, Chapel, Stowe and Club before arriving at the final corner, Abbey. The pit lane and starting grid were situated between Abbey and Woodcote, with the cars lining up for the start in 4-3-4 formation.
Austin’s Circuit of the Americas will see the United States debut as a Sprint host, along with Azerbaijan, Belgium, Qatar. Austria holds the event for a second successive season, with Brazil maintaining its record of being the only country to have been a venue for the format since its inception in 2021.
F1 said the Sprint venues for 2023 had been selected “following research into the most suitable tracks for the format, including overtaking opportunities, close racing and high-speed sections”.
F1 president Stefano Domenicali added: “We have seen a hugely positive reaction to the F1 Sprint events during the first two years of its running, and we can’t wait to bring even more action to fans with six events next year, including our first US F1 Sprint in Austin. “The introduction of the F1 Sprint has created a race weekend that includes three days of competitive racing action and brings more entertainment to fans of the sport as well as additional value for key stakeholders including teams, broadcasters, partners, and host venues.”
The format sees Qualifying take place on Friday, before on Saturday drivers race over 100km - which is a third of the usual race distance in a flat-out sprint for grid slots for the Grand Prix and points for their championship hopes.
The winner of the Sprint gains eight points, with that award descending by one point for each of the top eight.
This event will mark the first time Formula One races in Las Vegas since the 1982 season with the former Caesars Palace Grand Prix. The event is due to take place around the Las Vegas Strip. It will be the third Grand Prix in the United States to take place on the 2023 calendar after the Miami and the United States Grands Prix, and will mark the first time since 1982 that there will be three races held in the United States in one Formula One season.
The 3.803 mi (6.120 km) street circuit features 17 corners and a 1.181 mi (1.900 km) straight. The circuit runs counter clockwise, and starts in a disused parking lot which will be re-developed for the pits and paddock area, and contains permanent track. The first corner is a hairpin, and after that the course bends slightly left and then into a fast right, transitioning from the permanent circuit to city streets.
The cars go 0.50 mi (800 m) down Koval Lane, before entering a slow 90 degree right, and then entering a long, sweeping left which encircles the new MSG Sphere arena, before going through a left-right twisty section, that is a change from the original design, and then a slightly faster left that transitions onto Sands Avenue. The track then goes through two very fast bends on Sands Avenue before entering a slow left onto Las Vegas Boulevard, otherwise known as the Las Vegas Strip.
This is a 1.181 mi (1.900 km) flat-out section with two straights and a slight sweeping left that goes past some of Las Vegas’s most famous hotels and casinos. The circuit then goes through a tight series of slow corners onto Harmon Avenue, down an 0.50 mi (800 m) straight before going through a very fast left to complete the lap and transition back to the permanent track past the pits.
The silly season is finally fully open for business in the world of open-wheel racing, and while Formula 1 stuck around in Abu Dhabi for the final test of the 2022 season, the hot stove temperature for both F1 and IndyCar has started rising. One of the storylines to watch regards Mattia Binotto, as even with his team participating in the Pirelli tire test at Yas Marina Circuit, rumors of the team principal being out at Ferrari began to circulate, though Ferrari has released nothing official as of yet.
Several deals that were well known up and down the F1 grid were finally officially announced, such as Daniel Ricciardo landing at Red Bull Racing in a reserve role. The fact that Ricciardo spurned offers from teams deeper down the grid points to the fact that Ricciardo believes that this presents his best opportunity to perhaps return to a top-tier team in 2024 and that he truly would like to step away from the pressure of the sport for a bit, as his role has been explained as part brand ambassador (doing demonstrations in a show car) with a bit of tire testing and simulator running mixed in.
McLaren did surprise Ricciardo at the end of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Formula1.com reported that the team radioed him to change a setting on his steering wheel to “Purple C1,” and upon doing so his information display switched to a picture of his victory for the team at the 2021 Italian Grand Prix.
Ricciardo seat had little time to cool off as Oscar Piastri was out the next day for McLaren during the Pirelli tire test, where he put in enough work to have covered about two races in running 123 laps.
“A very different feeling to the Young Driver Test that I did last year, because I knew that was a day to have fun in an F1 car whereas this year, it’s a building block towards next year,” Piastri told formula1.com. “In terms of lap times, it’s meaningless because you never know what everyone else is doing. … [It’s about] getting to know my engineers, my mechanics, everyone in the team.”
Piastri wasn’t the only one getting familiar in new surroundings. Fernando Alonso participated in the test for Aston Martin, Pierre Gasly got a few turns in with Alpine, Nyck de Vries got familiar at AlphaTauri (where he is replacing Gasly), Nico Hulkenberg gave his Haas a try and Logan Sergeant took his first laps for Williams.
Rahal Letterman Lanigan did a little number shuffling amongst its driver line-up as Jack Harvey will now carry the No. 30 on his car and Christian Lundgaard will campaign in the No. 45 in 2023. Graham Rahal’s No. 15 remains unchanged. Hy-Vee will remain as main sponsor on the No. 45 and as a secondary sponsor on the No. 30, which is nearing a deal on the primary.
Stefan Wilson will be back at the 2023 Indianapolis 500 for his fifth attempt, driving for Dreyer & Reinbold Racing in a partnership with Cusick Motorsports. The younger brother of the late Justin Wilson, Stefan has a career-best finish of 15th (2018) in the 500.
DRR is working on a second entry for the race, details of which will be revealed when final.
Ed Carpenter Racing has announced a driver development program with 16-year-old Josh Pierson. The Oregon native will compete in the INDY NXT Series, formerly known as Indy Lights, for 2023 with the goal of reaching IndyCar in 2025. Pierson, who has competed in karts since the age of 2, was the youngest driver to compete on the USF2000 series at ages 13 and 14, and became the youngest driver to race in the Rolex 24 at Daytona in January 2022. Pierson campaigned in the World Endurance Championship in 2022 with an LMP2 class team win at the 1000 Miles of Sebring, making him the youngest driver ever to win.
