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Max Verstappen is the Drivers' champion for the 2022 Formula 1 season. His victory comes after a late Charles Leclerc mistake. The Ferrari driver was given a last-minute five-second penalty for gaining an unfair advantage over Sergio Perez.
Perez and Leclerc's position exchange allowed Verstappen to have the minimum required 112-point lead over both of them. In a post-race interview with Jenson Button, the Red Bull driver said:
"It's crazy, I mean very mixed emotions, of course. First of all, winning the race, you know, looking back now coz winning the championship and what a year we have had so far, of course, it's been incredible. Something I could've never imagined from happening last year already, you know, being fighting until the end and having such a good car again this year."
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Max Verstappen further added:
"You know, I'm so thankful to everyone who has been contributing to the success ofcourse the whole team who is here but also back at the factory who is constantly working flat out and never missing any motivation you know to try and make the car faster."
The Championship title was long overdue and the Dutchman always had a realistic chance of winning it for the second time at Suzuka. Verstappen's dominance on the track was worth noting, with many fans ecstatic with his win.
Twitter reacts to Max Verstappen's late title victory at Suzuka
Max Verstappen happy about win at Suzuka and hails Honda ties
Verstappen was thankful to Red Bull and Honda for their constant car improvement. The driver revealed that it was special for him to win the title in Japan.
Verstappen called the journey 'emotional' and claimed to be 'proud' of his team:
"The work we have done together with Honda all the way through. You know every year just constantly improving rapidly and you know to win now twice with them is very emotional, especially here [Suzuka] with everyone watching. Because you live in more pressure but it's good pressure, it's positive pressure and so I'm very proud that we could do it here."
This was Max Verstappen's second World Drivers' Championship title in a row. He managed this feat by crushing his nearest rival by over 110 points and clinching 12 victories so far this season. His last WDC title before today was in the 2021 season when he won the title in the very last race of the season in Abu Dhabi.
