Max Verstappen said it was a "crazy feeling" to retain his Formula One World Championship on Sunday in dramatic fashion after winning a rain-shortened Japanese Grand Prix and then seeing his nearest rival Charles Leclerc relegated to third by a five-second penalty.
The result gave Red Bull driver Verstappen an unassailable 113-point lead in the championship, making him only the third driver after Michael Schumacher and Sebastian Vettel to clinch the title with four races to spare.
Ferrari's Leclerc crossed the line second in front of Red Bull's Sergio Perez, but he was hit with a penalty after squeezing Perez in the final chicane and being deemed to have gained an advantage by leaving the track.
Verstappen was only informed he had retained his title midway through the post-race TV interview, and even the driver himself was not sure if he had sealed the deal.
"It's a crazy feeling of course as I didn't expect it when I crossed the line," said a surprised Verstappen.
"Was it going to be half points? I didn't know how many points I was going to get. I was happy with the race we had."
This story is from the October 10, 2022 edition of The Times of India Hyderabad.
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This story is from the October 10, 2022 edition of The Times of India Hyderabad.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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