We give credit to the unsung heroes of Formula 1 that made this championship possible: podium suit man and the TV graphics operators.
Max Verstappen has eventually won the 2022 drivers world championship in a shortened Japanese Grand Prix that featured plenty of controversy. Featuring Chris Medland, Racer.com F1 correspondent.
Pure’s F1 fanatic, Matt Oostveen, is joined by former F1 driver Alex Yoong and F1 journalist Michael Lamonato to dissect all the action on the track and in the pits during the Japanese GP and what it all means for the championship.
Max Verstappen dominated the wet-weather Japanese Grand Prix to win his second world title after Charles Leclerc dropped from second to third with a post-race penalty.
The heavens opened over the track in the hour before the race started, and lights went out as scheduled with the field on intermediate tires.
But the grand prix was neutralized halfway around the lap when Carlos Sainz aquaplaned into the barrier exiting the hairpin, with Gasly collecting an advertising hoarding that tore free from the wall in the impact.
Continue reading on RACERMax Verstappen has put himself in the perfect position to claim his second world championship on Sunday by beating Charles Leclerc to pole position at the Japanese Grand Prix.
But the Dutchman was sweating on a post-session stewards investigation into a bizarre incident with Lando Norris during the top-10 shootout.
Verstappen was preparing for his first flying lap off-line at the rapid 130R when Norris, who was on a much faster out-lap, closed behind him.
Continue reading on RACERMax Verstappen comfortably beat both Ferrari drivers in a busy final practice session at the Japanese Grand Prix.
Verstappen, who can guarantee himself a second championship this weekend if he wins the grand prix with the fastest lap, left his best lap until the final five minutes of the chaotic hour of track running. His best time of 1m 30.671s beat Carlos Sainz, who had previously controlled the top of the time sheet, by 0.294s.
The Dutchman was quickest relative to Ferrari in the more downforce-dependent first sector, but the two cars were more evenly matched for the rest of the lap. He was also quicker at the speed trap.
Continue reading on RACERMercedes teammates George Russell and Lewis Hamilton dominated wet second practice at the Japanese Grand Prix.
Russell and Hamilton were among the most prolific lap-setters in what was otherwise — like the first practice earlier in the day –a low-mileage session in conditions not expected to be replicated on Saturday or Sunday. They set 45 laps between them, around two-thirds the number that would be expected to be set in second practice around Suzuka.
The number is particularly low considering the session was extended by 30 minutes to allow for time to test Pirelli’s 2023-spec tires. However, as only the dry compounds were set to be sampled, the test was cancelled, albeit without shortening the track program.
Continue reading on RACERFernando Alonso topped a soaking-wet first practice session at the Japanese Grand Prix that ended with a heavy Mick Schumacher crash at the esses.
Suzuka had been drenched by showers from early in the morning, and less than half the field completed more than 10 laps in the sopping 60-minute session.
Kevin Magnussen was the first out after five minutes along with local favorite Yuki Tsunoda, but drivers were slow to brave the full-wet conditions. Only as the rain began to ease did a gaggle of cars join the circuit, in turn helping to disperse the worst of the standing water.
Continue reading on RACERIt used to be that the Japanese Grand Prix was a Mercedes stronghold. Between 2014 and 2019, the last race at Suzuka before the pandemic, the German marque won six grands prix, including four alone for Lewis Hamilton.
Max Verstappen will attempt to claim his second drivers championship on Honda’s home turf at the returning Japanese Grand Prix, but he’ll need to bounce back from an uncharacteristically scrappy Singapore Grand Prix to seal the deal.