F1 LIVE! Verstappen wins world championship - Japanese Grand Prix updates and latest news after rain-hit race

F1 LIVE!

Max Verstappen was crowned Formula One world champion in confusing circumstances after he won a rain-affected Japanese Grand Prix.

There were only 28 laps completed in Suzuka but full points were awarded as the race was resumed after a red flag had caused a delay of over two hours.

Verstappen took the chequered flag following a fine display after the restart and was crowned champion as Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez was promoted to second after the Ferrari of Charles Leclerc has penalised for gaining an advantage having run off the track at the final corner. Keep on top of all the reaction from Japan with Standard Sport’s live blog below!

F1 Japanese Grand Prix updates

• LIGHTS OUT! Verstappen leads with fine start

• RED FLAG! Sainz crashes on first lap

• RESTART! Verstappen still in front

• CHEQUERED FLAG! Verstappen wins

Thanks for joining us!

10:26 , Marc Mayo

Max Verstappen won the 2022 Formula One world championship in dramatic circumstances at the Japanese Grand Prix.

Charles Leclerc crossed the line behind the Dutchman in second to extend his wait for a second title but a five-second penalty for the Ferrari cutting the chicane in a last-lap battle with Sergio Perez knocked Lelcerc back into third, confirming race winner Verstappen’s triumph.

Even then, it took F1 making a surprise decision to award full points for the shortened race to seal the championship with four grands prix left.

Recap the race with our full report!

Verstappen gives his take on winning the 2022 title

10:10 , Marc Mayo

“It’s been a pretty incredible season of course, we’ve had a lot of good results. It’s really been enjoyable as well with the team. Of course we had a tough start but we turned it around pretty quickly, we kept on pushing and improving.

“To stand here now with the championship is a pretty amazing feeling, especially for those involved with Honda and the Japanese fans.

“I don’t really think about [getting even better], of course you want to be better. But I think it’s just a matter of experience, things you try to apply to next year.”

More from Hamilton as Verstappen wins championship

10:02 , Marc Mayo

“Congrats to Max, for us we know what the problems are for this car. I believe that we as a team have not gone from world champions to not being able to build a good car. I have no doubts about building a better car next year, whether we rectify every issue... we’ll find out when we get there.”

Lewis Hamilton gives his race reaction

09:59 , Marc Mayo

“I don’t feel frustrated, it’s a sprint race. I did the best I could and I’m happy I got some points today. We were just so slow in a straight line. I was getting as close as I could. Wish it was a longer race, I’m glad we got some laps for the fans today.”

09:56 , Marc Mayo

The moment Verstappen learned of his title glory

09:49 , Marc Mayo

Helmut Marko on Verstappen’s win

09:44 , Marc Mayo

“We thought he was still one point off so big surprise but a very nice surprise. He’s far more relaxed, much more mature. It’s a big step and not the end of his performance.”

09:40 , Marc Mayo

Red Bull boss Christian Horner reacts

09:33 , Marc Mayo

“We thought it wasn’t going to be full points awarded, so that’s obviously what swung it. We were looking at pitting for the fastest lap and so on. But wow, it’s beyond all our dreams. Max has been truly, truly dominant. He and the team have raised it to another level.”

Latest championship standings

09:31 , Marc Mayo

With full points awarded, brush up on the latest F1 standings.

Read the full story!

Verstappen gives his reaction

09:26 , Marc Mayo

“It’s crazy, very mixed emotions winning the race and looking back at what a year we’ve had. Something I could have never imagined. I’m so thankful to everyone who has been contributing to this success.”

09:22 , Marc Mayo

Safe to say there is come confusion about Verstappen’s title - not least from the man himself as he enters the podium.

It appears full race points have been awarded, confirming his title.

09:13 , Marc Mayo

Five-second penalty for Leclerc!

That confirms Verstappen as world champion!

09:10 , Marc Mayo

The stewards will investigate Leclerc leaving the track and gaining an advantage at the end there.

We could have a Red Bull 1-2 after all!

09:07 , Marc Mayo

Leclerc runs across the final chicane and holds off Perez to take second at the flag! The stewards may want to look at that...

Hamilton settles for fifth behind Ocon, Alonso snatching seventh off Russell and nearly getting Vettel too!

CHEQUERED FLAG!

09:05 , Marc Mayo

VERSTAPPEN WINS!

09:05 , Marc Mayo

A brilliant piece of racing from Perez and Leclerc in the Hairpin as they just avoid contact and the Ferrari man keeps second!

Last lap!

09:04 , Marc Mayo

One more time around Suzuka as we pass 50 per cent distance some three hours after we began this race!

Leclerc and Ocon continue to frustrate Perez and Hamilton in their respective battles.

Two minutes to go...

09:02 , Marc Mayo

Another look down the inside of the Hairpin for Perez fails to come up trumps.

Verstappen asks for new tyres and a potential fastest lap shot - Red Bull say no dice. He’s a full 24 seconds out in front.

09:01 , Marc Mayo

Remember Alonso pitting about three minutes ago? He is already back in eighth place and may yet catch Russell!

We may yet get 50 per cent distance in this race, increasing the points on offer and activating the fastest lap point - that currently belongs to Zhou in 16th...

5 minutes to go

08:58 , Marc Mayo

A Red Bull one-two is on the cards as Perez catches Leclerc...

Into the Hairpin, the Ferrari runs wide but he has the traction on exit to keep second place!

08:56 , Marc Mayo

Alonso pits from seventh and comes out tenth, the fresh Inters are no doubt quicker but he has very little time to make use of them.

8 minutes left

08:55 , Marc Mayo

Hamilton must be sick of watching that Alpine rear wing and he can practically touch it as he leaves the Hairpin with good traction on Ocon.

But it isn’t enough and the Merc remains stuck in fifth. He just doesn’t have the straight-line speed to get the job done.

08:53 , Marc Mayo

Russell is enjoying himself, at last, after losing time in Mercedes double stacking their cars at the pit stop.

Eighth place is his as he jumps Latifi once again at the end of the S Curves. Nicely done.

Final 15 minutes...

08:50 , Marc Mayo

The big battle could soon be Perez on Leclerc with just three seconds between the Ferrari in second and Red Bull in third. Verstappen is a whole 13 seconds clear.

Hamilton on Ocon for fourth and Alonso on Vettel for sixth are the other scraps with Suzuka in the wet a far-from easy place to overtake at.

A huge push for Hamilton into 130R almost leads to contact and they are only inches apart as the Frenchman holds on!

20 minutes to go

08:44 , Marc Mayo

Leclerc asks Ferrari team radio if he can pit but that would drop him to seventh - but he has Perez closing in fairly rapidly.

Russell continues his push through the pack to go ninth ahead of Norris. His teammate, Hamilton, is within touching distance of Ocon.

08:42 , Marc Mayo

As things stand, a 25-50 per cent finish will award points to the top nine.

Russell fancies a spot in amongst them and overtakes Tsunoda with a smart move atop the S Curves to go 10th.

25 minutes to go

08:38 , Marc Mayo

The spray has eased significantly to help visibility out on track.

Hamilton chasing Ocon for fourth with Verstappen’s lead over Leclerc now at over six seconds.

Oh, and Schumacher has at long last pitted.

08:35 , Marc Mayo

Schumacher now the lone runner on Wets and going backwards as Ocon and Hamilton knock him into sixth, where Vettel is on his tail.

Into the Haiprin, he gets the job done before Alonso, Latifi and Norris follow through.

Up top, Leclerc adds his name to the fastest lap honours - him and Verstappen are much quicker than everyone else!

30 minutes to go

08:33 , Marc Mayo

Verstappen is flying with a fresh fastest lap out in front.

Vettel the big winner from the pit stops, coming in early to recover from 16th to seventh. Latifi also stopped at the same time and he’s ninth.

08:30 , Marc Mayo

Schumacher told to stay out and hope for a safety car as he rides in third in the Haas.

Verstappen is on his tail and Leclerc is four seconds back, and he gets the overtake done to lead the race as Ricciardo and Alonso pit.

35 minutes to go

08:28 , Marc Mayo

In come Verstappen and Leclerc for Inters as Red Bull double stack their drivers.

Alonso, Ricciardo and Schumacher the front three now having stayed out on Wets. Zhou the only other on Wets as Russell, who did swap, laments “the worst decision” to pit!

08:26 , Marc Mayo

Perez in third already four seconds off Leclerc and he has Ocon and Hamilton behind for company.

Norris and Bottas the next to stop while an unsafe release check will take place after Vettel was sent into Latifi’s path at his stop.

Green flag!

08:24 , Marc Mayo

Verstappen tells team radio pitting will be “a bit of a disaster” as teams consider pitting for Inters.

The reigning world champion leads the pack down the start/finish straight and has a comfortable advantage over Leclerc.

Vettel and Latifi pit for Inters.

Safety car coming in!

08:22 , Marc Mayo

We’re about to get a proper restart to this race...

08:21 , Marc Mayo

A lot of spray off each car as they continue to parade the track.

Ricciardo confirms visibility is the big issue although “track conditions are not too bad,” he adds.

08:17 , Marc Mayo

“Track pretty good,” says Hamilton - he’s keen to get going.

“Visibility is better so far,” adds Ocon.

“It’s not too bad for now,” is the Leclerc verdict.

Here we go!

08:15 , Marc Mayo

Bert Mylander’s safety car leads off the pack for some exploratory laps around the track.

Verstappen’s title permutations

08:14 , Marc Mayo

Presuming we land between 25 and 50 per cent of the planned race completion, Verstappen can still put the extra eight points on Leclerc and six points on Perez required to win the championship today.

08:07 , Marc Mayo

Lewis Hamilton had called on the race to restart only minutes ago...

He posted on Instagram: “Let’s get going, give it a shot. We’ll know immediately if it’s driveable or not.”

We have a restart time!

08:05 , Marc Mayo

The race will resume at 8.15am BST!

One hour left

08:00 , Marc Mayo

No chance of a full race today with the official race clock ticking.

A race reaching 25 to 50 per cent distance earns just over half the regular points, with two laps to 25 per cent gaining just six points for the winner and one point for fifth.

But that still requires this grand prix to get racing once again... which looks a tad unlikely!

Weather latest

07:54 , Marc Mayo

The medical car continues to storm around the track in the search for good news - but it is very much still raining at Suzuka.

A reminder that no points will be awarded if the race is abandonded here because we have not had two laps of normal racing.

Christian Horner on a potential restart

07:48 , Marc Mayo

“It’s tough because daylight is going to start getting dark, it’s just showing no signs of letting up. So we’ll stick at it - it’s just a massive shame for all these tremendous fans sat in the pouring rain. But safety does come first.”

Gasly summoned to stewards

07:43 , Marc Mayo

A potential penalty coming Gasly’s way after that recovery vehicle incident - it is claimed he was doing “speeds of up to 250 km/h when completing the lap under the red flag after passing the scene of the incident”.

This story will run on no matter what happens with this race today.

Alpine team boss Otmar Szafnauer gives his take

07:37 , Marc Mayo

“We just need to learn from it and never repeat it, safety comes first. Can we restart the race? I feel we should go on full Wets under the safety car and then decide.”

Norris adds his voice to recovery vehicle fury

07:31 , Marc Mayo

More reaction to the truck coming out on track while cars raced under the safety car.

Bianchi’s father angry over recovery vehicle incident

07:27 , Marc Mayo

Philippe Bianchi, the father of the late F1 driver Jules who died after hitting a tractor at Suzuka in 2014, has slammed the decision to send out the recovery vehicle at today’s race.

He wrote on Instagram: “No respect for the Life of the driver no respect for Jules memory incredible.”

Well over an hour since the red flag was thrown

07:23 , Marc Mayo

The rain remains heavy and the clouds remain grey overhead.

The race time clock has resumed, the three-hour window in which the race must be finished. We must be finished by 9am BST, to ensure daylight for racing.

As things stand, no points will be issued unless we clock more laps.

More on recovery vehicle incident

07:18 , Marc Mayo

Pierre Gasly and Carlos Sainz led Formula One drivers’ questioning of a decision to send a recovery vehicle out at the Japanese Grand Prix while cars were still on track.

Gasly was furious to see it as he drove past when the red flag was later called, while driving at higher speed to catch the pack having pitted to clear an advertising board that landed on his front wing at the Sainz crash.

He called out on team radio: “What is this? What is this tractor on track?! I passed next to it. This is unacceptable. Remember what has happened. Can’t believe this.”

Read the full story.

No restart time yet

07:08 , Marc Mayo

A run around the track for the medical car to learn more of the conditions.

Rain latest

07:04 , Marc Mayo

Yep, still raining.

Sainz on that recovery vehicle controversy

06:57 , Marc Mayo

“I don’t know if people understand but even behind the safety car, when going at 150kph, we don’t see anything. Even behind the safety car.

“So if one driver decides to get a bit out of the racing line or has small aquaplaning or has to change a switch on the steering wheel and gets a bit out of line... it’s over.

“I still don’t know why we keep in these conditions risking having a tractor on track. It’s worthless. You were going to red flag it anyway, so why risk it.”

F1 release statement on Gasly incident

06:54 , Marc Mayo

After a recovery vehicle was released with Gasly still on track, the FIA have said: “The Safety Car had been deployed and the race neutralised.

“Car 10, which had collected damage and pitted behind the Safety Car, was driving at high speed to catch up to the field.

“As conditions were deteriorating, the Red Flag was shown before Car 10 passed the location of the incident where it had been damaged the previous lap.”

Let’s see how the drivers respond to this post-race...

Restart suspended!

06:48 , Marc Mayo

Oh no, more delays...

Any new restart time will require a minimum of ten minutes’ notice. Not too bad if you woke up late and feared you had missed all the action, mind.

Five-minute warning!

06:44 , Marc Mayo

The drivers make their way back into their cars ahead of the restart.

06:41 , Marc Mayo

Multiple laps behind the safety car are planned to shift the water on the track. Full Wet tyres will be required.

Also, some light to shed on Gasly’s anger after Sainz’s crash. A recovery vehicle had entered the track to collect the Ferrari before every car had passed - something that is simply not meant to happen.

Restart confirmed!

06:35 , Marc Mayo

The race will resume in 15 minutes and we will have a rolling start.

We’ll bring you the restart time when we have it

06:34 , Marc Mayo

Just to be clear, it is the heavier rain forcing the red flag - not the Sainz crash, although the barrier did need a bit of a touch-up after that incident.

A proper downpour continues to hit Suzuka.

The safety car has been out for a look at the conditions but is currently sat in the pits along with the remaining 18 drivers.

Meanwhile, in the garage

06:30 , Marc Mayo

Fernando doing Fernando things...

How Vettel’s final Suzuka race almost ended

06:25 , Marc Mayo

Perhaps a racing incident in the wet here, Vettel coming across Alonso who was simply holding his racing line into the first turn.

Still under a red flag

06:20 , Marc Mayo

Most of the drivers are settled in their garage with no restart time as yet.

06:15 , Marc Mayo

Gasly not happy with an advertising board landing on his car.

The Frenchman clearly irked in the garage after he collected it from Sainz’s crash.

“What the hell is that?! Oh my god, I got something stuck I can’t see in front of me,” he called out over team radio.

06:12 , Marc Mayo

Some big movers and shakers at the start as the cars return to the pits amid heavier rain.

Stroll is up seven places to 11th, Schumacher up five to 10th and Tsunoda in his home race up four to ninth.

Dropping down are Norris, three to 13th, and of course Vettel whose spin sent him to 16th.

Red flag!

06:08 , Marc Mayo

A bump from behind sent Vettel into the gravel at the start - “really bad” he tells team radio.

The replays show Sainz losing his rears on running water as he left the Hairpin.

Albon is also out, he had a mechanical failure out of the Hairpin while Latifi and Zhou scrapped, the Alfa Romeo spun around but carrying on.

Red flag is out!

Sainz in the wall!

06:05 , Marc Mayo

Disaster for Vettel who spins at Turn 1 - but Sainz is in the barrier at Turn 15!

Safety car.

LIGHTS OUT!

06:04 , Marc Mayo

The rain falls as Leclerc darts into the lead... but Verstappen fights back brilliantly to hold the lead!

Formation lap!

06:00 , Marc Mayo

Intermediates are the order of the day with the rain perhaps just intensifying ahead of the start.

Plenty of spray off the back of each car as they make their way through the S Curves.

Rise and shine!

05:57 , Marc Mayo

Just joining us? Well, you’ve timed it perfectly.

We are only minutes away from the Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka with 53 laps coming up.

And the rain is falling on the circuit, persistent drizzle making for an unpredictable 90 minutes ahead of us.

Safety car driver Bert Mylander on a possible rolling start

05:52 , Marc Mayo

“At the moment it seems to still be okay from my side, we have another 10 minutes to go. It’s still Inters but it can change quickly to Wets.”

Tyre strategy

05:48 , Marc Mayo

Mercedes don’t have the numbers of Intermediate tyres available to them as the rest of the grid with full Wets not required just yet.

Time for the national anthem

05:44 , Marc Mayo

Just 15 minutes until the race gets underway.

This was the scene after the pit lane opened... It’s wet!

Red Bull boss Christian Horner on the weather situation

05:43 , Marc Mayo

“In these conditions, anything can happen. Let’s see. It’s pretty consistently miserable, it’s due to get harder in the second half of the race so you’ve got to be on your toes. I don’t see any reason in these conditions why we can’t get the race up and running.”

Title permutations

05:41 , Marc Mayo

There are a series of ways Max Verstappen can win the title today...

If Max Verstappen wins with fastest lap bonus point - He will clinch the title, irrespective of the results from Charles Leclerc and Sergio Perez.

If Max Verstappen wins without fastest lap - He will be champion if Leclerc finishes third or lower for Ferrari. Red Bull team-mate Perez’s result would not matter in this instance.

Read the full story!

Ricciardo misses out

05:36 , Marc Mayo

What the movements mean is Daniel Ricciardo will miss out on an F1 seat in 2023 - with only a Haas and a Williams drive still up for grabs.

He told reporters: “To be honest, the Gasly news I was aware of. I knew they were talking for a while and I knew they were very interested in Pierre, so I would say I was prepared for that and no surprise.

“We were trying to navigate our way round that and figure out what was next, but I think the reality now is I won’t be on the grid in ’23.

“I think it’s now just trying to set-up for ’24. I think there could be some better opportunities then, so that’s really what all this confirms and now where the sights are set.”

De Vries makes surprise AlphaTauri switch

05:30 , Marc Mayo

Replacing Gasly at AlphaTauri will be Nyck de Vries, previously tipped to join Williams.

Max Verstappen has revealed he told the rookie to call Red Bull boss Helmut Marko after he finished ninth in a debut F1 outing at Monza earlier this season, as he replaced the unwell Alex Albon.

“We had a dinner the day after Monza, and I told him, just give [Marko] a call, you never know what happens,” Verstappen said.

“It was also the right time to call him. Helmut is probably still excited on a Monday from the race on a Sunday. It worked out well, and I'm very happy for him.”

Gasly signs for Alpine

05:25 , Marc Mayo

Pierre Gasly is off to drive for Alpine next year in a move announced ahead of the Japanese Grand Prix.

“It was a clear call and definitely very attractive,” Gasly stated.

“It felt the right time for me to take my own start and take my career on my own and start this incredible story with Alpine.”

After a poor qualifying and Q1 exit only put him 17th on the grid, the Frenchman will start from the pit lane today after changing his rear wing to better suit the conditions.

Pit lane open!

05:20 , Marc Mayo

The race is almost upon us as the cars bolt on Intermediate tyres to prepare for their run to the grid.

Will FP1 prove a prophecy for the race?

05:17 , Marc Mayo

Much of the dry weather practice runs can be discarded for the race as the rain falls, but FP1 on Friday was a wet session.

Fernando Alonso starred ahead of the Ferraris while Mercedes struggled - something to keep in mind...

Wet race would suit Hamilton

05:12 , Marc Mayo

Lewis Hamilton has admitted his chances of pushing for a podium today are dependent on the weather.

“It depends on the conditions that we have,” Hamilton said yesterday.

“If it rains, I think we didn't look too bad yesterday in the wet conditions. I think either way we should be a little bit closer than we were today, and I'm just hoping for a better race result than we had last week.”

Well Lewis, you might be in luck…

Weather update

05:06 , Marc Mayo

The umbrellas are out at Suzuka!

Steady drizzle is falling on the circuit so hopefully not enough to trouble the start time, after last week’s race in Singapore was delayed.

Talk in the paddock is of a potential rolling start in case the rain lands unevenly on the downhill start/finish straight.

Norris partly at fault for Saturday reprimand, says Verstappen

05:01 , Marc Mayo

Max Verstappen believes his near-miss with Lando Norris in qualifying could have been avoided had the McLaren driver had more “respect” for him.

A reprimand was handed out to the Dutchman after he oversteered out of 130R and almost collected Norris’ car as he accelerated past him.

“We were on our outlap and we were all lining up to create a gap to everyone and then somehow he still wanted to get me into the chicane, but I was on the point of accelerating and I was on very cold tyres, so I had a little moment and that's why he had to drive around me,” said Verstappen.

“But if he had just a bit more respect for me, because everyone is anyway lining up and I don't think anyone is trying to pass into that last chicane, so by trying to pass me you create that kind of thing.”

Leclerc wary of Red Bull step-up

04:56 , Marc Mayo

Charles Leclerc fears Red Bull will stroll clear of Ferrari if they improve on their already-quick qualifying pace for the race.

“Red Bull normally do a step from the Saturday to the Sunday,” he said.

“If they do so tomorrow then it might be tricky for us. If they don't then it will definitely be close.”

A fond farewell from Vettel

04:51 , Marc Mayo

Sebastian Vettel bows out of F1 this winter with Suzuka labelled his favourite track of the entire calendar - and he put on a great display in his final Japanese qualifying by putting his Aston Martin ninth on the grid.

Mercedes pace worries Russell

04:46 , Marc Mayo

George Russell expects a “struggle” in today’s race with Ferrari and Red Bull both quicker than Mercedes in different parts of the track.

“I’d love for it to be as competitive as it was last weekend, but I think it’s going to be a little bit more of a struggle,” said Russell after qualifying. “I think Ferrari have been very fast in the medium, high-speed corners this year.

“The Red Bulls have been really slippery down the straights, which obviously, with only the one DRS zone here, they’ll probably be in a good place as well.

“So it’s not going to be straightforward, but I think we always show quite good pace on a Sunday. So there’s no reason why we can’t be in the fight.”

Drivers parade live

04:41 , Marc Mayo

Check in on the scene at Suzuka after the drivers parade.

Lights out in under 90 minutes!

Qualifying recap

04:36 , Marc Mayo

Max Verstappen is on course to wrap up a second successive F1 title after claiming pole position for the Japanese Grand Prix.

The runaway championship leader edged up Ferrari rival Charles Leclerc by just 0.010 seconds in qualifying at the Suzuka circuit on Saturday, with Carlos Sainz also only 0.057 seconds off the pace in his Ferrari in third.

“It was incredible to drive here again, of course very happy to be on pole but just super happy to be back here,” said Verstappen after taking the 18th pole of his career and fifth this season.

Read the full story!

Hamilton praised for Mercedes team talk

04:29 , Marc Mayo

Lewis Hamilton has been praised for a key team talk to the Mercedes factory crew amid their tough season.

Mercedes technical director Mike Elliott said: “He’s here late in the evenings working with us, trying to get the most from the car, and I think that’s just an encouragement to everyone else in the team to see the input he’s putting in.

“Lewis also spoke to the factory probably nearly two weeks ago and stood up and spoke to them and he was brilliant. I guess what you expect from a character like Lewis – properly leading, properly bringing energy to the team.

“I think that’s what we need going into a difficult winter.”

Weather forecast

04:25 , Marc Mayo

Get ready for a wet one...

There is a very high likelihood of rain today with conditions currently try in Suzuka but a front is coming in with low wind speeds unlikely to pass it along quickly.

Temperatures sit around 17°C.

Starting grid

04:18 , Marc Mayo

How they line up at Suzuka today.

How to watch

04:13 , Marc Mayo

TV channel: In the UK, the race will be shown LIVE on Sky Sports F1 and Sky Sports Main Event. Coverage of Grand Prix Sunday starts at 4:30am BST, with race coverage from 5:55am.

The race is repeated from 9:30am on both channels, with free highlights available to watch on Channel 4 at 12:30pm.

Live stream: Sky Sports subscribers can also stream the race action live online via the SkyGo app.

LIVE blog: You can also follow the race as it happens with Standard Sport’s live blog.

Rise and shine!

Saturday 8 October 2022 18:37 , Marc Mayo

Hello and welcome to Standard Sport’s live coverage of the F1 Japanese Grand Prix!

Max Verstappen can today claim his second world championship and he starts on pole at Suzuka.

The race gets underway at 6am BST, and you can keep up to date with all the action right here...