Race winner Max Verstappen of the Netherlands and Oracle Red Bull Racing. Mark Sutton – Formula 1/Formula 1 via Getty Images
Formula 1 is back in Austin, the “Home of Horsepower.” Instead of riding bucking broncos, the world’s fastest drivers are revving 1000 horsepower V6 engines around one of the year’s trickiest tracks.
During race weekend (October 17-19) in Austin, the city is plastered with F1 imagery, from posters of Lando Norris’ face alongside 6th Street to the full range of Pirelli tires that adorn the lobby of the Thompson Hotel.
It’s the one weekend in Austin where lines around the block aren’t solely reserved for BBQ restaurants. Instead, Formula 1 fanatics queue for fans zones set up around the city like, the Atlassian Williams Racing Fan Zone where they can drive esports simulators, Lewis Hamilton’s Plus 44 store pop-up and former F1 driver Daniel Ricciardo’s Enchanté pop-up.
Matthew McConaughey participates in the grid tour before the start of the United States Formula One Grand Prix at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas. AFP via Getty Images
Digital luxury lifestyle concierge service Velocity Black is the official luxury lifestyle partner of the Aston Martin Aramco Formula 1 team, and members get access to some of the weekend’s most exclusive offerings, including the team’s hospitality suite in The Paddock Club, a hot lap, garage tours, pit lane walks and a lunch at the Aston Martin House, where drivers casually walk by as you munch on brisket croquettes and local tostadas.
“Whether it be VIP hospitality, garage tours and hot lap access at F1 races, fine dining experiences or exclusive entertainment, we are committed to unlocking truly unforgettable moments across the globe,” says Sylvain Langrand, CEO of Velocity Black.
Malin Akerman and Brittany Snow attend the Uber One Rodeo. Getty Images for Uber
Off the track, there was a private dinner at the iconic Franklin Barbecue with an intimate live performance by Grammy Award-winner Gary Clark Jr. And should members want to beat the Austin traffic, Velocity Black arranges helicopter transports to and from the circuit.
“F1 and Austin have acclimated to each other,” legendary BBQ pitmaster Aaron Franklin told Observer at a private dinner for Velocity Black members. “Now, people come here specifically for F1, and are more interested in the local scene and local culture. We had the McLaren team here last night, and they’re all just a bunch of really cool nerds. I love meeting people during race weekend that I wouldn’t normally have the chance to meet.”
Roller coasters dot The Circuit Of The Americas (COTA) and it seems like the mandatory dress code is cowboy hats and boots. When cars aren’t rounding the circuit, musical performances throughout the weekend include Kygo and Garth Brooks, Turnpike Troubadours, as well as local Austin talent.
This year, Austin was a sprint weekend, meaning there was an extra mini-race with more points on the line for the championship battle. Track temperatures weren’t the only scorching hot thing on Saturday, as the sprint race was off to a spicy start. The crowd gasped as both McLarens made contact, forcing them out of the sprint race and any chance at points. Overall, a bad day for Oscar Piastri, currently leading the driver’s championship, as he only placed P6 in qualifying, while his teammate and championship rival, Lando Norris, came in at P2.
Glen Powell on the grid during the F1 Grand Prix of United States at Circuit of The Americas. Formula 1 via Getty Images
And on race day, COTA was hot as H-E double toothpicks, but celebrities still lined the track, including Matthew McConaughey, Glen Powell, Malin Akerman and Adele. Max Verstappen dominated, winning the race with Lando Norris coming in second and Charles LeClerc third. There were plenty of overtakes and on-track action, but no red flags. Although the race wasn’t as exciting as the sprint, it was consequential for the driver’s championship, with Lando narrowing the gap to Oscar Piastri by 14 points.
And as the sun set on Austin, the city was electric with bars packed with F1 fans, and private events and parties, like the Esses Magazine one-year anniversary party with two special guests, as the Visa Cash App RB drivers Isack Hadjar and Liam Lawson made an appearance. At the One Party by Uber, a musical performance by the Zac Brown Band opened with a traditional Texas rodeo.
While partaking in a BBQ dinner, another Texas tradition, Jak Crawford, an F2 driver and Texas native told Observer, “My favorite thing about race weekend in Austin is the food. The brisket, it’s so good here.” While he hasn’t raced here yet he says, “I can’t wait to drive here, it can be a really tricky circuit.”
EXCLUSIVE:Viaplay is launching a collection of eleven documentaries about three time Formula 1 world champion Max Verstappen.
Beginning on Monday, October 14 the streamer will launch docs such as Off the Beaten Track and Master of the Track in the U.S. and UK. The programs offer a glimpse into the life of the racer, exploring how he has achieved his dominant displays and mentality to win.
Max Verstappen: Off the Beaten Track comprises three episodes, while Max Verstappen: Master of the Track is 22 short eps. Later in the month, Viaplay U.S. and UK will add Max’s Machine and F1 Talks on October 21 and F1 2023: Champion Becoming a Legend on October 28. Then in November, more Verstappen documentaries will debut, including Lion Unleashed Seasons 1-3 on November 18) and Near Perfect, Picture Perfect and Anatomy of a Champion on November 25.
“Partnering with Viaplay for all these series has been an incredible journey,” said Verstappen. “These series show a side that often remains unseen during the moments on the Formula 1 circuit. It gives a glimpse of my life, my love for different forms of motorsport and the people who inspire me. I’m proud to collaborate with Viaplay in now also bringing this unique series to viewers in the United States and United Kingdom.”
Nick Hoedeman, who directed Anatomy of a Champion and Off the Beaten Track, added: “Mostly I did the filming myself. Max is not a fan of camera crews, so we looked at how to keep it as small and compact as possible, so that Max feels relaxed. That’s also the only way to really make it something different from what you’ve already seen with him.”
“For a lot of people the insight you get into his life answers the question of why Max acts as he does. He is ‘what you see, is what you get’ — something that is quite tricky for a film director. But it’s also really what it is. That does make him a very pure person and you’re going to see that very well. Everyone has been very open and honest.”
Viaplay’s U.S. and UK services have added docs on soccer stars Nicklas Bendtner, Cody Gakpo and Erling Haaland in recent months, as well as young adult drama series Threesome, true crime docuseries Under the Radar – Secrets of a Swedish Serial Killer and In the Mind of a Criminal, Nordic noir Darkness Those Who Kill Seasons 1-3, and Swedish crime drama Taelgia, with Pilou Asbaek’s contemporary drama series Secrets coming October 21 to the UK and October 24 to the U.S.
Viaplay U.S is distributed on Prime Video Channels, the Roku Channel, Xfinity, XUMO and Sling TV, while Viaplay UK is on Prime Video Channels.
Both services are now distributed through partnership agreements as add-ons. The standalone direct-to-consumer services in the UK and U.S. were closed as part of wide-scale Viaplay Group restructuring amid financial issues last year.
MONZA, Italy (AP) — Lando Norris claimed he’s not feeling the pressure — no more than normal at least.
Norris secured a dominant victory at the Dutch Grand Prix last time out to continue to chip away at Max Verstappen’s lead at the top of the Formula One standings.
The McLaren driver moved to within 70 points of Verstappen with nine races remaining and much of the focus will be on how the title fight could develop at this weekend’s Italian Grand Prix.
“I don’t think of (the expectation) at all,” Norris said on Thursday. “There’s always pressure. I still get so nervous before qualifying, before the races I still get just as excited and just as nervous.
“I barely eat anything on Sundays, I struggle to drink anything on Sundays, just because I’m nervous and because of the pressure,” the 24-year-old Briton added. “But I think it’s how how you turn that into a positive thing, how do you not let it affect you in a bad way, how can you actually use it in a good way to help you focus on the correct things and so on.”
It was clear last weekend at Zandvoort that Norris’ team had the fastest car following McLaren’s latest upgrades. That points to what could be an increasingly competitive title fight with Verstappen in the last nine races of the season after the Dutch driver was far ahead of the rest in 2022 and 2023.
McLaren also cut the gap to Red Bull in the constructors’ championship to 30 points as the team chases its first title since 1998.
It was only a second ever win for Norris. The other victory was in Miami in May, and he has finished second four times since then.
Verstappen had never been beaten on his home track but Norris has been quick to temper enthusiasm about a reignited title race.
“Monza’s a very different track. It gives the team a good amount of confidence and always a little bit of a boost, but it doesn’t change your feeling,” Norris said. “We know we’ve been performing well the whole year since Miami, we’ve been doing a very good job and this was a weekend where everything just went perfectly.
“We’re pushing hard every weekend, of course our goal is to catch in both, especially from a constructors’ side it looks a lot more doable than the drivers’ side. But I’m doing my best, the team’s doing their best and that’s all we can hope for.”
Verstappen said last weekend that “something has been going on lately with the car” and that Red Bull needs to figure out how to combat twin problems of a lack of pace and higher-than-expected tire wear.
The three-time defending champion is now without a victory in five races, his longest winless run since 2020. But Verstappen appeared unfazed by his narrowing lead.
“Listen, I just do the best I can,” he said at Monza. “If I win it or not, it’s not going to change my life. Would I like to win it? Yes, of course.
“But it’s not in my hands with the performance of the car because I just try to do the best I can, try to give feedback, try to make it faster. If that’s going to be enough to the end of the year, I don’t know.”
(CNN) — Lewis Hamilton won his home race at the British Grand Prix on Sunday, battling to a thrilling, record-extending victory as the lead changed hands several times on a rain-slicked track at Silverstone.
The seven-time world champion rolled back the years to take his first race win since the 2021 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix and a record-extending ninth victory at Silverstone, prompting delirious celebrations from the packed home crowd as a tearful Hamilton paraded around the track, holding the Union Jack aloft from his car.
And it was his old rival, Max Verstappen, who Hamilton fought off to secure the win as the Red Bull driver chipped away at the Briton’s lead in a dramatic finish, but was unable to overtake him.
For Hamilton to win his last British Grand Prix with Mercedes – the team with whom he dominated the sport for so long – seemed like a “fairytale,” team principal Toto Wolff told broadcaster Sky Sports after the race.
No other driver has won as many races at the same circuit as Hamilton has at Silverstone now, further cementing the 39-year-old’s legacy at the trackand as the sport’s most successful ever driver.
Hamilton himself seemed overwhelmed by emotion too, embracing his father at the finish and telling Sky Sports that he “can’t stop crying.”
“It’s been since 2021, just everyday getting up trying to fight, to train, to put my mind to the task and work as hard as I can with this amazing team,” he said. “This is my last race here at the British Grand Prix with this team, so I wanted to win this so much for them.
“There’s definitely been days between 2021 and here where I didn’t feel like I was good enough or whether I was going to get back to where I am today but the important thing is I had great people around me continuing to support me,” he added.
Hopes were high among the home crowd for a British winner at the race since there was a British 1-2-3 starting on the grid at Silverstone for the first time since 1962.
George Russell began on pole, ahead of his teammate Hamilton in second and McLaren’s Lando Norris in third, and Russell held the lead for the first third of the race until Hamilton streaked past his teammate.
But both Mercedes cars ran wide off the track across the run-off shortly afterwards, allowing Norris to overtake Russell and then to accelerate past Hamilton too.
As the rain poured down at Silverstone, Norris seemed assured in the lead but Hamilton began slowly reeling him in while Russell was forced to retire from the race with a technical issue and Verstappen started chasing the leaders down.
Once the rain cleared, the drivers pitted to change their tires again and Norris slightly misjudged his mark, adding an extra couple of seconds to his stop, and Hamilton capitalized to take the lead.
There was still drama to come in the closing laps of the race as Verstappen overtook Norris to take second and began chasing down Hamilton but ultimately ran out of road.
I started watching Formula 1: Drive To Survive thanks to a short blurb in The New Yorker boasting a “Real Housewives” atmosphere, but with fast cars. As a fan of both sports and drama, I couldn’t find a reason not to give it a chance. Plus, it’s ranked in Netflix’s Top 10 shows and with five seasons already, how bad could it be?
In the words of Bill Hader’s Saturday Night Live character, Stefon – it. has. everything. Attractive, young men from across the globe have come to the screen to steal my heart alongside adrenaline-pumping races following one of the most difficult sports known to man. Cue the eye rolls.
These drivers have become the newest trend in sports. They’ve earned TikTok thirst traps and mashups, fanfictions galore, and throngs of fans everywhere they go. My entire For You Page consists of Daniel Ricciardo’s best interview moments and Charles Leclerc slo-mo getting out of a car. Alphatauri even debuted their new car at New York Fashion Week this year – these boys are everywhere.
There are only 20 drivers in the world who can operate a Formula 1 car for 50-70 agonizing laps. It’s a male-dominated sport – few women are ever even interviewed in the show – but the majority of the F1 fandom is composed of women thanks to the Netflix series.
But the Formula 1 Fever isn’t by accident. In 2016, it was purchased by Liberty Media for $4.4 billion. The sport was in major need of a revamp with a 40% drop in viewership from 2008-2016 – they desperately needed a younger generation of fans despite the sport’s resistance to change. When Liberty Media stepped in, a Netflix contract followed soon after, and the rest is history.
The Cut reports, “The 2022 F1 season was the most viewed, ever, in the U.S., and the largest demographic growth was seen in young people, aged 12 to 17 and 18 to 34, and women. Women made up 352,000 viewers per race, a 34 percent growth from 2021, meaning they made up 28 percent of the 2022 audience.”
Teams and drivers were now allowed to take to social media to promote their season – the ultimate power move to reach wider audiences. TikTok found these handsome faces and shiny new personalities and suddenly Formula 1 had a fanbase foaming at the mouth.
The Cut brings up a good point: Formula 1 is easy enough to follow with fewer rules and less players than the National Football League and other popularized American sports. You no longer have to ask about positions – the only positions that matter in F1 are where the drivers are starting and finishing – or pretend to care about a 50-person roster. Something so new-feeling in the United States also invites more women to watch, as football can feel like an even less inviting boys club.
And although DTS fans aren’t exactly welcomed with open arms by long-time Formula 1 fans, it’s a hell of a lot easier than making a jaded effort to talk football with a bunch of guys who have been watching the sport “since day one.” The Netflix series makes F1 easier to digest. I already know that Lewis Hamilton in a Mercedes is the Tom Brady and New England Patriots of Formula 1… and that Max Verstappen for Red Bull is the one to watch.
The Ferocity of a Fangirl
Being a longtime fan of Harry Styles, I’m no stranger to being called a crazy fangirl. The condescending term has since been attached to new Formula 1 fans who came for the hotties and stayed for the sport. In situations where women show unyielding support and come together to push something into uber-popularity, the term “fangirl” is meant to embody the hysterical, unstable female.
And yet, because of these inconsolable women, Formula 1 is becoming insanely popular. Brands like Pacsun and Abercrombie debuted their own Formula 1 clothing lines and Netflix launched Full Swing, the golf version of the show. So pray tell – what, exactly, is wrong with fangirling?
If you put 80,000 screaming men in a stadium, some of whom have flown across the country and spent half their paycheck to see their favorite player, you’d call that Football Sunday. But if you put 80,000 screaming women clawing after a boy band, it’s worrisome.
“Who’s to say that young girls who like pop music – short for popular, right? – have worse musical taste than a 30-year-old hipster guy? … You’re gonna tell me they’re not serious? How can you say young girls don’t get it? They’re our future. Our future doctors, lawyers, mothers, presidents, they kind of keep the world going. Teenage-girl fans – they don’t lie. If they like you, they’re there. They don’t act ‘too cool.’ They like you, and they tell you. Which is sick.”
The fervent support of women to any format – music, sports, etc. – brings viewership, money, and popularity to anything they get behind. Why anyone would want to hide Formula 1 from this success is beyond me. At the end of the day, Formula 1 – and everything else – may very well be for the girls.
Haas driver Kevin Magnussen, of Denmark, competes in the qualifying stage at Interlagos racetrack … [+] ahead of the weekend’s Formula One Brazilian Grand Prix in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Friday, Nov. 11, 2022. (AP Photo/Marcelo Chello)
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
The Brazilian Grand Prix is the penultimate race of the 2022 Formula One season, one where both the Drivers’ and Constructors’ Championships have already been decided. It is also the final race weekend with the somewhat controversial sprint format. This is where qualifying takes place on Friday after FP1, and a sprint race of about one-third race distance takes place on Saturday (following a second practice session), which ultimately determines the grid for Sunday. It effectively adds a second race—a second lights-out moment, which is the moment in F1 racing—in place of a third (yawn emoji) practice session.
I say controversial because there are many critics of this experimental format, not least of which is two-time World Champion Max Verstappen.
“You don’t do a pitstop so you just put on the tire which will last the distance. You don’t really see a lot of overtaking unless there is a car out of position. So then it’s not really that fun for me,” Verstappen told ESPN.
Others feel the drivers don’t take chances in the sprint because the small number of points isn’t worth risking a bad starting position for Sunday. And then you have the traditionalist F1 fans, who balk at any tweak to the way things have always been. They were loudest about the halo when it was introduced, and it’s since saved several lives. As a fan of the sport, I think the sprint format adds more excitement to a weekend in general. And over the past two seasons, Brazil has proved all the critics wrong.
In 2021, we saw championship contender Lewis Hamilton take an engine penalty that had him start the sprint race from P20. He stormed through the field to finish P10 in a prelude of what was to come on Sunday. I texted a friend that evening and said that Hamilton was about to put on a clinic. That’s exactly what he did, passing everyone from from P10 to P1 and salvaging his championship hopes. Of course, a lot of that performance came from having a brand new Mercedes power unit. The press often doesn’t acknowledge how much of a performance boost that is e.g. Verstappen in Belgium this year. Regardless, the sprint format gave us one of the best Formula One performances I’ve ever seen. And it’s happening again this weekend.
Friday Qualifying
Haas driver Kevin Magnussen, of Denmark, jumps out of his car after a second practice session at the … [+] Interlagos racetrack in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Saturday, Nov. 12, 2022. The Brazilian Formula One Grand Prix will take place on Sunday. (AP Photo/Marcelo Chello)
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
Friday’s qualifying gave us a lot to talk about. It started out wet with all drivers on intermediate tires (inters) as Q1 commenced. It quickly transitioned to slicks as the track mostly dried, though the threat of rain loomed. We got to Q3 under dry conditions, but the rain would most likely come during this final session, as sprinkles could already be felt in the pit lane. The best strategy, it seemed, was to get a quick lap on slicks before the track got too wet. That initial lap time on slicks would be a lot faster than one on inters. It was possible you wouldn’t get that dry lap, which means you’d pit for inters with everyone else and do a lap or two in the wet. This scenario gave an advantage to the teams closest to the end of the pit lane—teams like Haas—because you could be first to queue up and wait for the session to start.
Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc, of Monaco, steers his car during a qualifying session for the … [+] Brazilian Formula One Grand Prix at the Interlagos race track in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Friday, Nov. 11, 2022. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
First in that queue was Kevin Magnussen followed by the Red Bulls and Ferraris. But one of these cars was not like the others. The Ferrari team decided to “split strategies” by sending Sainz out on slicks and Leclerc on inters. He asked his engineer if he was the only car on inters. Yes, Charles. Just you. It was a baffling call from a team that can ill afford to make these types of blunders. Indeed, it wasn’t even a risk. Because if the track proved too wet for slicks, there was plenty of time to come in for inters and set a competitive time. There was no advantage to be gained if it started raining. Leclerc would have been the first to set a time on inters…but certainly not the last. And it only got worse from there as he still decided to do a flying lap with inters on a dry track, holding up Perez in the process and ruining his lap. Leclerc ultimately would not put in a time and ended up P10.
As the rain increased slightly, drivers were desperate to set the fastest possible time before having to switch to inters, which would really be pointless. Russell locked up into turn one and went off into the gravel only to get beached. This red flagged the session. Given that the rain had pretty much arrived, there was zero chance of putting in a faster lap on inters over what had already been set on slicks. The entire F1 universe watched as the clock ticked down on Q3 with Kevin “KMag” Magnussen at the top of the time sheets. Indeed, this was one of the best moments of the 2022 F1 season, seeing KMag and Haas get their first pole and watching the team celebrate as if they’d just won the championship. The collective sentiment on F1 Twitter: This is what the sport of F1 is all about.
Saturday Sprint Race
Haas driver Kevin Magnussen, of Denmark, front, steers his car during the Sprint Race qualifying … [+] session at the Interlagos racetrack in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Saturday, Nov.12, 2022. The Brazilian Formula One Grand Prix will take place on Sunday. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
With Magnussen starting the sprint race from pole position (had to lead with that), the Danish driver had Verstappen alongside him with Russell and Norris on the second row. Everyone started on the soft tire, save for Verstappen and Latifi who started on the medium. KMag got a great start and led the race for the first lap or so. But he wasn’t actually racing Red Bull, Mercedes or Ferrari. So Verstappen, Russell and Sainz got past within the first few laps, and it became a race among the top three teams. This is really what we’ve been waiting for all season. There was overtaking. There was wheel-t0-wheel action. Plenty of risks were taken, and there was a lot of contact. The sprint in Brazil was some of the best racing we’ve seen all year. Full stop. It was a stark contrast to the worst (most boring) race of the season in Mexico a couple weeks ago.
Mercedes driver George Russell, of Britain, celebrates winning the Sprint Race qualifying session at … [+] the Interlagos racetrack, in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Saturday, Nov. 12, 2022. The Brazilian Formula One Grand Prix will take place on Sunday. (AP Photo/Marcelo Chello)
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
Verstappen was clearly struggling on the medium tires; he’d been struggling with understeer during the practice sessions, so it wasn’t necessarily the tires. Russell stayed within DRS for the first handful of laps and finally took the lead on the back straight. He quickly distanced himself and led the remainder of the race to secure his first F1 victory. Sainz and Hamilton also passed Verstappen, relegating him to P4, though Sainz will take an engine penalty. This puts both Mercedes on the front row for tomorrow. Magnussen finished P8 and earned the last point available in the sprint.
The race saw teammates of Aston Martin and Alpine tussle, and it wasn’t pretty. Alonso and Ocon came together, which caused damage to both cars. Alonso eventually lost part of his front wing, scattering debris on the pit straight in the process, and Ocon’s car caught fire in the pit lane after the race. Vettel had better pace and tried to overtake Stroll on the back straight, only to be forced off track into the grass. Stroll received a 10-second penalty for this reckless and amateurish move. The fact that both Stroll and Alonso found themselves in these types of situations in Austin and Brazil doesn’t look good for the future teammates. Perhaps they deserve one another. But the stewards may need to employ harsher penalties if this keeps up.
Sunday Race Strategy
Mercedes driver George Russell, of Britain, front, is embraced by teammate Lewis Hamilton, of … [+] Britain, after Russell won the Sprint Race qualifying session at the Interlagos racetrack, in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Saturday, Nov. 12, 2022. The Brazilian Formula One Grand Prix will take place on Sunday. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
The Mercedes team have the potential to capture its first win of the season. This could also be Russell’s first official F1 race win. As long as they don’t screw it up. Because Verstappen will be ready to pounce if the silver arrows are battling one another as opposed to working as a team. No doubt, the team is setting a strategy to not only claim victory but to finish one-two and overtake Ferrari in the constructors’ standings. There is a lot to play for tomorrow, both on track and back at the Mercedes factory. Hamilton has said as much.
The ideal strategy, in my view, is for Hamilton to support Russell in taking the victory (assuming he has the pace) and to hold up the Red Bulls and Ferraris. Russell is starting from pole and will have the advantage into turn one. The moment that Hamilton and Russell fight one another it becomes an opportunity for their rivals. If they can agree up front that this is Russell’s race to lose, it not only gives them the best chance at a one-two victory. But it sets Hamilton up for 2023, where he’s trying to win an eighth world title and Russell (realistically) just wants to win races. Russell will owe him.
SUZUKA, Japan — Red Bull driver Max Verstappen clinched his second consecutive Formula One drivers’ title by winning the Japanese Grand Prix in the rain at Suzuka on Sunday.
Verstappen has been dominant all season and claimed the title with four races remaining.
The Dutchman started from pole in pouring rain only for the race to be stopped after two laps as several cars crashed. It was resumed two hours later with 28 of the 53 laps completed and Verstappen leading the whole way.
He was followed by teammate Sergio Perez in second and Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc. They were the only drivers who could have overtaken Verstappen for the title.
Verstappen now has an unsurmountable lead with 366 points. Perez has 253 and Leclerc 252.
Verstappen did not know initially that he had won the season title after the shortened race, thinking that the full 25 points for a win would not be awarded. But a short time later, the FIA — F1’s governing body — awarded full points.
And he apologized to the crowd on the track public address system just after the race.
“The championship obviously did not come the way this time around,” he said.
Seconds later, television coverage declared him champion.
At the start, Verstappen took the lead with a risky pass after a slow start but several cars further back lost control including Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz, who spun and was knocked out.
Organizers stopped the race after two laps. AlphaTaura’s Pierre Gasly complained on his radio that he passed a recovery vehicle that was allowed on to the track shortly after the safety car emerged. This incident apparently came just as the race was red flagged.
This is a sensitive issue in Japan. In 2014, French driver Jules Bianchi collided on the course with a recovery vehicle. He was placed in an induced coma and died nine months later.
After a two-hour delay, the races restarted and Verstappen never looked back, leading the rest of the way.
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SUZUKA, Japan — Max Verstappen of Red Bull will be on pole position for Sunday’s Japanese Grand Prix as he attempts to clinch his second straight Formula One drivers’ title.
It was Verstappen’s fifth pole of the season. However, that has not been crucial for Verstappen, who has won 11 times this season — often starting from a non-pole position.
Verstappen finished first in qualifying on Saturday with a quickest lap time of 1 minute, 29.304 seconds at Suzuka. He was followed by Charles Leclerc of Ferrari, Carlos Sainz of Ferrari, and Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez.
Verstappen is guaranteed of taking the season title if he wins the race on Sunday and also gets a bonus point for turning the fastest lap. He could also win the championship for a second straight year without a victory depending on the other results.
“I’m not thinking about it too much,” Verstappen said as he talked about Sunday. “I’m just taking it day by day. I think what was more important is that we have a competitive car — and clearly we had that today in qualifying. And of course it’s going to be the same tomorrow in the race.”
“It’s a good start,” he added.
Even if he fails, Verstappen is likely to take the title in two weeks at the United States GP in Austin, Texas. He has a massive 104-point lead over Leclerc with five races to go, including Sunday’s race.
He’s also 106 points ahead of teammate Perez, the only other driver who has a mathematical chance to overtake him for the season title.
Verstappen has had a dominating season. He’s already won 11 times, and if he gets two more he will match a season record for victories held by Michael Schumacher and Sebastian Vettel. They both won 13 in one season.
Saturday qualifying was run on a dry circuit. However, rain is predicted for Sunday in central Japan. Those were also the conditions in Friday practice.
Race stewards later looked at an incident in the third practice session involving Verstappen and Lando Norris of McLaren. Norris was forced to swerve to avoid hitting Verstappen. Stewards gave Verstappen a reprimand but he kept pole.
Sunday’s race result could be quickly overshadowed on Monday when the FIA — the governing body of Formula One — is expected to rule if any team violated spending-cap rules last season.
Unsourced reports say Red Bull is one of the teams under investigation.
The FIA could put financial sanctions on a team or, in theory, could also strip Verstappen of the title he won last season in the final race of the season. That seems unlikely and could be a public relations disaster.
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