The 2022 Japanese Grand Prix (officially known as the Formula 1 Honda Japanese Grand Prix 2022) is a Formula One motor race held on 9 October 2022 at the Suzuka International Racing Course in Suzuka, Japan. The event takes place over the weekend of 7–9 October. It is the eighteenth round of the 2022 Formula One World Championship and the first time the event is held since 2019, with the 2020 and 2021 races canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Valtteri Bottas enters as the defending race winner. Going into the weekend, Max Verstappen leads the Drivers' Championship by 104 points from Charles Leclerc, who is second, and teammate Sergio Pérez, who is third, by 106 points. Red Bull Racing leads the Constructors' Championship, ahead of Ferrari by 137 points and Mercedes by 203 points. For the second consecutive race, Verstappen has the chance to secure his second World Drivers' Championship in a row. He needs to outscore Leclerc by eight points and Pérez by six. During the previous Singapore Grand Prix, the Federation releases a note on Friday stating it is finalizing the evaluation of the financial data submitted by all Formula 1 teams for the previous championship. Any potential breaches of the financial regulations, if present, are handled according to the formal process set by the regulations. According to the latest rumors, the Austrian team Red Bull Racing and the British team Aston Martin have not adhered to the budget cap set at $145 million for 2021. The alleged breach by the Milton Keynes team is not severe and is therefore believed to be under 5% of the budget cap for the previous season. Possible penalties, therefore, do not go beyond a fine or a reduction of funds available for the next season.
In the evening, the Federation releases a statement acknowledging the unfounded speculations and conjectures regarding the matter and reiterates that the evaluation is ongoing and that the correct process is being followed, without taking any external discussions into account. Before the event, a detailed report is expected from the global motorsport body regarding any penalties to be imposed. Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff plans to skip the Japanese trip but might change his mind depending on the Federation's verdict on Red Bull Racing's 2021 budget. On Wednesday, originally scheduled to be the day a detailed report on the teams' expenses was to be published, the Federation announces the postponement of the release of the 2021 budget certificates, which will now be issued after the race weekend. The Federation reaffirms that, for the second time, there is nothing true in what has been leaked so far through the media, with any insinuations about the leak of confidential information by the Federation’s personnel also being baseless. For the Federation, this is the third postponement regarding the communications on the budget cap. The teams were initially informed that the communications would take place on 30 September, later moved to 3 October, then 5 October, and now, once again, to 10 October. Continuing to talk about the Red Bull Racing team, on Wednesday, October 5, 2022 the Austrian Red Bull Racing team and the Italian AlphaTauri team announce the strengthening of their partnership with the local Honda company. Starting from this Grand Prix, for the first time since the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 2021, the last race of the previous World Championship, the brand is once again present on the cars of the two manufacturers. Regarding this collaboration, the Motorsport Advisor of the Oracle Red Bull Racing team, Helmut Marko declares:
"Oracle Red Bull Racing and Honda Racing Corporation have achieved great success in Formula One together. With these new agreements, we are proud to continue going from strength to strength with the technical support from HRC until the next generation of engines are introduced in 2026. We are confident this relationship with HRC will set us up for more success in the future and thank them for their ongoing support".
Christian Horner, Team Principal and CEO, of Team Oracle Red Bull Racing says a few words about this renewed collaboration:
"Honda has invested significantly in hybrid technology over the course of our partnership. This has ensured the supply of competitive power units to both teams, for which we are very grateful. Our combined goal is to continue to deliver dominant engines and achieve the most success possible in the following three years. To mark this, we look forward to welcoming the Honda logo back on to the car from Suzuka onwards".
Koji Watanabe, Head of Corporate Communications Supervisory Unit, Honda Motor Co., Ltd. and President of Honda Racing Corporation, is satisfied with the renewed collaboration between Honda and Red Bull Group and declares:
"The HRC logo on the nose and Honda logo on the side of the race machines of both teams represent the strong ties between Honda and Red Bull Group. Through the technical support provided by HRC, Honda will fully support the challenges those machines take on to become the ‘fastest in the world.’ We are very pleased that these machines will be unveiled at the F1 Japanese Grand Prix, where Honda serves as the title sponsor. Please root for the two Red Bull Group teams which compete with power units loaded with Honda technologies".
Franz Tost, AlphaTauri’s Team Principal, is satisfied with the extraordinary relationship developed over the years with Honda and declares:
"Over the years we have developed an amazing working relationship with Honda and it’s great to be continuing to strengthen this with a variety of activities, including displaying the iconic logo on the car once again, starting from the Japanese Grand Prix. We are very thankful for the hard work from Honda during our time together, allowing us to achieve several podiums as well as Pierre’s race win in Monza, and we hope that this success will continue into the future".
In addition, all four drivers of the two teams, the reigning world champion driver, the Dutch Max Verstappen, the Mexican Sergio Pérez, the French Pierre Gasly and the local Yuki Tsunoda, will attend the traditional HRC Thanks Day, scheduled for the following 27 November. Pérez also takes on the role of ambassador for the Honda Racing School (HRS) driving academy. Honda appeared, in Japanese characters, on the special livery of the Milton Keynes team used during the 2021 Turkish Grand Prix, held on the date the Japanese race was originally scheduled to take place, before the latter was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Austrian team also enters into a partnership with Bingo for the Japanese race, a local company specializing in the organization of international auctions of luxury or first-class cars. For this Grand Prix, like the previous one, the FIA appoints the Portuguese Eduardo Freitas as race director. Former Formula 1 driver Mika Salo is appointed assistant commissioner. The Finn has held this function in the past on several occasions, the last at the Italian Grand Prix. It is the German car manufacturer Mercedes, as in the previous race, to supply the safety car and the medical car. For this Grand Prix, Pirelli, the sole tire supplier, offers the choice between C1, C2 and C3 compound tires, the harder compounds that characterize the entire range made available by the tire supplier company for the championship, given the characteristics presented by the Japanese circuit. For the second consecutive edition of the Grand Prix, after the last race in the 2019 season, the Italian manufacturer names the same type. For the first time since the Dutch Grand Prix and for the fifth time this season, after what occurred in the Bahrain Grand Prix, the opening race of the world championship, and in the Spanish and British Grand Prix, the compounds selected by Pirelli are the hardest ones. At the same time, the Milanese manufacturer nominates the tires for the subsequent Grand Prix of the United States of America and Mexico City scheduled for later this month. Pirelli Motorsport director Mario Isola gives an overview of the situation:
"Ask the drivers which are their favourite circuits and Suzuka will always be high on the list: it contains demanding corners like nowhere else, such as 130R and Spoon, as well as a truly special atmosphere and history with incredible fans. There’s a roughly equal number of left and right corners in the unique figure of eight layout, which means that the circuit demands are evenly balanced. The sustained energy loads through the tyres are some of the highest we register all year, and the track layout means that we bring the three hardest compounds in our range because of the high levels of tyre duty. With the latest generation of cars being heavier than before and the limits of performance constantly being pushed, that challenge is bigger than ever now. An innovation for this year is the fact that we will be testing some 2023 prototype tyres during an extended free practice session on Friday afternoon, as we finalise the specification for next year with the end of this season approaching".
Returning instead to talk about the Japanese Grand Prix, the World Champion Driver of the Austrian Red Bull Racing team, Max Verstappen, leads the standings reserved for drivers with 104 points ahead of the Monegasque Ferrari driver. Charles Leclerc, and with 106 points ahead of team mate, the Mexican Sergio Pérez. Verstappen, to win the second consecutive drivers' title, the first Dutchman to do so in the history of the category, must score eight points more than Leclerc and six more than Pérez. In Ferrari, the Monegasque driver Charles Leclerc shows himself motivated to return to race at Suzuka and hopes to give an excellent result to the many Japanese Ferrari fans:
"That’s the effect being at this track has on you, driving here is really enjoyable, especially the first sector with the sequence of esses. Actually, in general it’s fantastic, because it is particularly demanding. Putting together a great lap means taking every corner perfectly. The politeness and composure of the Japanese fans contrasts with how passionate they are, wearing very unusual hats and clothes, but they are all very knowledgeable and so it is nice to race in front of them. I hope that Carlos and I can give the guys we have seen already today at the track and in the grandstands with the Prancing Horse flags something to cheer about".
On the same wavelength as his teammate, Carlos Sainz Jr. concludes:
"It’s too hard to choose, as they are all really great and very demanding. It’s an ‘old-skool’ track, the type that makes motor racing wonderful. On paper, this new generation of cars look like being really fun to drive at Suzuka. I think we will be competitive, although so too will our main rivals, for whom this is a sort of home race. But I believe our car has great potential and it’s just a matter of improving how we operate on Sundays, to confirm the level we have usually shown on Saturdays. I think the team deserves at least one more win this season, because I really believe that, in terms of potential, this is Ferrari’s best season in the hybrid era. It would be the ideal way to prepare for next season. The passion is similar to what we feel from our Italian and European supporters, but the culture is so different that you can see some unusual sights, such as fans wearing full race suits and helmets inside the paddock, as if they were one of us drivers".
In Mercedes, Team Principal, Toto Wolff, takes stock of what the previous Singapore Grand Prix was for his team and focuses on the challenge that awaits them in Suzuka:
"Japan It was a very difficult Sunday for us in Singapore. There were still some positives to take because we saw glimpses of the car's pace and potential. But we couldn't convert that into points in the race itself, although the car showed it was competitive in free air. We've had plenty to debrief and analyse over the past few days and many learnings to take forward. Thankfully we can move quickly onto the next race and a new challenge for us to tackle. Our target is to rebuild the momentum we had before Singapore and capitalise on the positive underlying performance of the car. There are still five opportunities to score good points and end the year strongly. Suzuka will give our package some challenges, and it will be hard to repeat the qualifying performance we saw in Singapore - but I hope that will be balanced out with a stronger Sunday afternoon. F1 hasn't been to Japan since 2019 and the team is really looking forward to being back. It's such a special track; one of the most challenging for both man and machine. And we've missed all the brilliant Japanese fans, too".
On Friday, a soaking wet Suzuka welcomes Formula 1 drivers for the first time in three years. The first free practice session is affected by heavy rain, which hits the track. However, this does not prevent the drivers from trying the circuit, even though in the first half-hour, those who tackle the track use extreme wet-weather tires. Later, the first driver to switch to intermediate tires is Valtteri Bottas. Towards the end of the session, there is another increase in rainfall intensity. The best time is set by Fernando Alonso, who completes only seven laps.
Even fewer laps are completed by Max Verstappen, who finishes the session in sixth place, with only four laps run. In the standings, behind the Spaniard, are the two Ferraris, who had planned to conduct comparisons of different types of setups. The good competitiveness of Alpine is confirmed by Esteban Ocon's fourth-best time. At the end of the session, on his return lap, Mick Schumacher loses control of his car at the end of the S curves, in the first sector, damaging the front wing and suspension. Alfa Romeo is fined €500 by the Federation for Valtteri Bottas exceeding the speed limit in the pit lane. The second session is entirely conducted using intermediate tires. In this session, the two best times are set by the Mercedes drivers, with George Russell ahead of Lewis Hamilton. The German team completes several laps, gathering data as rain is forecasted for the Grand Prix as well. In third and fourth place are the two Red Bull Racing drivers, with Verstappen more than eight-tenths of a second behind Russell’s time. The Dutchman complains about the overheating of the front tires, although the track conditions do not allow for a switch to slick tires. Kevin Magnussen is fifth, ahead of Carlos Sainz Jr. Further down the grid, Charles Leclerc finishes, having also gone off track, with his car ending in the escape road. This event leads the team to decide to end the session early for the Monegasque driver. Schumacher does not participate in the session, as Haas is unable to prepare a car for the German driver in time after the incident in the first session. The session is extended to 90 minutes, half an hour longer than usual, to allow drivers to test the 2023 slick tires, although, due to the wet track, it is not possible to complete the tests as planned by Pirelli. The test is rescheduled for the same session at the Mexican Grand Prix, which will take place on 30 October. Despite setting competitive lap times, Ferrari drivers Carlos Sainz Jr. and Charles Leclerc are not immune to mistakes on such a technical track in such difficult conditions. In particular, the Spaniard tastes the gravel outside turn 8 (the infamous Degner curve) in FP2, just like his teammate in the previous session. A 2nd and 6th place mean Sainz has beaten Leclerc in both FP sessions:
"It’s been a very wet Friday, which normally means not a lot of running, but today the conditions were stable and we were able to test both the Intermediates and the Wet tyres. We’ve managed to learn a couple of things in these wet conditions so overall we can say it’s been a productive Friday. Now it’s time to prepare for qualifying tomorrow".
Charles Leclerc risks a little bit more than his teammate, almost hitting the barrier outside the hairpin. The Monegasque laments issues with his front tyres, which he feels are in strange shape, and that causes him to go long, fortunately without beaching his Ferrari. FP1 is definitely better for Leclerc, as he places in 3rd position just 0.071s behind Sainz, while FP2 sees him struggle a bit more, finishing in P11:
"Overall, it was a good first day on track in terms of performance. While FP1 went well and I had a good feeling in the car, I can’t say much about FP2 as my tyres were completely worn out. The weather tomorrow should be quite different to what we saw today, so FP3 will be a very important session for us to adapt to the conditions as quickly as possible in preparation for qualifying".
Max Verstappen has the chance to seal his second world title in Japan. The Dutchman is the first to try out intermediate tyres in FP1, but a new downpour prevents him from setting a significant lap time, forcing him to settle for P6. Definitely better his outing in FP2, as Verstappen closes his Friday behind the Mercedes duo of Russell and Hamilton. Even though he is a bit overshadowed by others during both practice sessions, the defending champion has cemented his reputation as a rain master with fabulous races in the wet and drives a car which will surely allow him to fight for the win (if not be the man to beat) in what is expected to be a wet Sunday:
"It was obviously raining a lot today, so the two sessions weren’t very representative of what it will be like during qualifying or the race. It’s good to be back on track and always nice to be here in Suzuka. We were expecting more rain so it was good that we could go out on track for as long as we did. It’s a bit tricky to know where we are with pace when in the wet, but we did some basic set ups today and not much more than that. We’re almost starting from zero tomorrow in the dry, but it’s the same for everyone, I don’t think it will make a massive difference throughout the grid. Let’s see tomorrow what we can do".
Sergio Pérez is another fearsome driver in wet conditions, as proved by his performance in the previous race in Singapore. The Mexican starts his weekend with an average 10th place in FP1 to improve later and finish FP2 right behind his teammate (+0.048s from P3), even with a run in the gravel at the hairpin:
"It was wet out there and overall I think it was a shame for the fans today because of the weather but it looks better for tomorrow. Hopefully we get plenty of action on Saturday and then race day looks mixed so that can also be a great one for the crowd. This track is always a challenge and when it’s wet even more, it is the best track in the world, I think. We have managed to get a good read in these conditions, we are fairly comfortable and have a good idea of what we need to do, so it should be a good weekend”.
Thanks to a loaded set-up used specifically for the rain, the Silver Arrows bounce back on top scoring a promising 1-2 in FP2. Among the first drivers to use intermediate tyres in the second free practice session, the Mercedes duo led by George Russell enjoys being under the spotlight again. With a time of 1'41"935s the young Briton precedes his renowned teammate by 0.235s, after only completing four laps in FP1:
"It is always nice to end the day top of the time sheets, and it was a decent improvement from FP1 when we were pretty much at the bottom. The wet conditions today were probably not that representative for the rest of the weekend, but it was a good learning opportunity for the future; it's important to understand things like the tyre crossover from wet to intermediate, and even if that doesn't pay dividends this weekend, it will in the future. It's amazing to be back here in Suzuka - the circuit is so iconic, one of the best in the world, and the first sector is just a joy to drive because it is so fast and flowing. I've no idea what to expect tomorrow in the dry - we will be battling for the top six positions, and hopefully we have a shot at something better than that. Let's wait and see".
After a 13th place in FP1, Lewis Hamilton improves significantly in the following session, even though performance seems to matter a bit less in a legendary track such as Suzuka, where for a racing driver it is just magical to drive around:
"It's been a very chilled day! It's been grey and wet, with a little bit of running, but we expect different conditions for the rest of the weekend. There's always something useful to learn on set-up, tyre wear and temperatures, as well as moving around the car balance between the sessions - plus we get data on our competitors, too. And it was positive in second practice that we could switch the tyres on today. This track is just beautiful to drive and it's great to see the fans here again - and it will be even more fun in the dry. When you do your first lap of the weekend, it's always special to think of all the legends that have been here; then you come up to the last chicane or turn one, thinking of Senna and Prost, and you realise what a privilege it is to drive at a place that has had so much history. Looking to tomorrow, I don't really know what to expect. I guess Ferrari and Red Bull will be rapid, and I hope that we are fast too - like I do each week".
The third free practice session on Saturday takes place on a dry track, allowing the drivers to test technical solutions for the race, limiting their focus on performance for a flying lap. Verstappen is the fastest driver, managing to edge out the Ferrari duo. The Italian cars show greater consistency in the race simulations. Alonso finishes fourth. The Mercedes cars clock in sixth and seventh, setting insignificant top speeds, focusing instead on an aerodynamic setup more suited for rain, which is expected for the race. In qualifying, Pierre Gasly sets the first time (1'32"049), immediately improved by his AlphaTauri teammate Yuki Tsunoda. Tsunoda’s time is then surpassed by Lando Norris, who is in turn beaten by Pérez, with a time of 1'30"622. Verstappen takes the lead (1'30"224), with Carlos Sainz Jr. just 0.112 seconds behind the world champion. Daniel Ricciardo surpasses his teammate Norris by six-tenths of a second, while Leclerc moves into third. The Mercedes drivers make their first attempt on medium tires but find themselves far behind in the rankings. The two Alpines do better, with Alonso fourth and Ocon seventh. Gasly and Tsunoda make it into the top ten, but both complain about the performance of their brakes. The Mercedes cars return to the track with soft tires: Russell rises to sixth, ahead of Hamilton in eighth. Alexander Albon has his time canceled for exceeding track limits. Except for the top five, all the other drivers return to the track for one final attempt. Vettel moves up to twelfth, Schumacher is in eleventh, while Zhou is in eighth. Lance Stroll improves, but not enough to make it into the top ten. Along with the Canadian from Aston Martin, Albon, Gasly, Kevin Magnussen, and Nicholas Latifi fail to make it through to the next phase. In the second phase, the first drivers to take to the track are the two Ferrari drivers: Sainz Jr. finishes with 1'30"444, while Leclerc is just 0.042 seconds behind his teammate. Verstappen soon takes the session lead (1'30"346).
Both Ferrari and Red Bull Racing drivers use used tires for this attempt. Pérez, in fourth, ahead of Vettel, is beaten by the two Alpines. Norris slots in ahead of Vettel, then Hamilton places between the two Alpines. George Russell slots in behind Pérez, before Ricciardo moves into fifth, placing himself between Ocon and Lewis Hamilton. The top three - Verstappen and the Ferrari duo - do not make further attempts and wait in the pits for the end of the session. Sebastian Vettel moves up to sixth, while Esteban Ocon does even better, climbing to second. Pérez, on fresh tires, manages to beat his teammate’s time and take the lead. Alonso rises to second, while Hamilton is fifth. As the session concludes, other drivers’ times push Leclerc down to ninth place, which is still enough for him to progress to Q3. However, Ricciardo (by three-thousandths of a second), Valtteri Bottas, Tsunoda, Zhou, and Mick Schumacher do not make it into the final phase. In Q3, Ocon sets the reference time (1'31"106), which is soon improved by Charles Leclerc, with 1'29"557. Pérez is only two-tenths behind the Monegasque, while Sainz Jr. beats the Mexican to take second. Shortly after, Verstappen grabs the provisional pole position (1'29"304). The Dutchman shows more competitiveness in the first and final sectors of the track. During his out-lap, the world champion noticeably slows down at turn 15 (130R) and, to warm up his tires, performs a weaving motion, almost risking contact with the approaching Norris. The race stewards open an investigation into the maneuver by the Red Bull Racing driver. Alonso places fifth, ahead of the Mercedes duo. Norris, very quick in the first sector, is ahead of Ocon, while Vettel only completes one fast lap. The German ends up in sixth place. In the second attempt, neither Leclerc nor Sainz Jr. can beat Verstappen’s time, though they get close by mere milliseconds. Even Verstappen is unable to improve, but he retains the pole position. Pérez finishes fourth, ahead of Ocon and Hamilton. Max Verstappen secures his eighteenth career pole position, his fifth of the season, and for the first time since the one obtained at the Dutch Grand Prix, where he later won the race. This is only his second pole position in the last seven races.
"Not an ideal start. But Not bad, guys. Not bad".
Maz Verstappen turns off the engine, jumps out of his car and waves to the viewers before starting with the interviews.
"It was pretty incredible to drive here again, especially in qualifying when you are on low fuel, these cars really come alive through the first sectors. I am really happy to be on pole and in general, just super happy to be back here in Japan".
So he adds:
"During qualifying, I lost a part of the duct from the car in my final lap so that’s why I couldn’t really improve, nevertheless the first lap was good enough. It will be interesting to see what the weather does tomorrow, there may be rain during the race, I am quite confident that we have a good race car so let’s see what we can do. I’m not thinking about the championship still, I’m just taking it day by day. The most important thing is that we have a competitive car, and we had that today in qualifying. We still need that perfect race".
Sergio Perez is not particularly satisfied with today’s performance:
"It wasn’t a great day for me in qualifying but we will try everything we possibly can for tomorrow. It doesn’t change my life much if I am third or fourth, the most important thing is that we have a strong race car and we are able to progress through the field. I have to push tomorrow to be in contention and I have to be in the mix. I believe I can be strong in the race, so I am massively looking forward to it. I think it’s too early to predict the weather because it can change so rapidly here, the rain could come at any moment in the race or it might hit earlier. I think strategy will play a role tomorrow and if I am able to get a Ferrari at the start it would be good. You have to be quick around here and the degradation is pretty high so I think it will come down to who has the better pace".
Christian Horner, Red Bull’s Team Principal, says:
"It was a very close qualifying; Ferrari has been quick all season so we were not expecting them to be any different here. However, it was a big lap from Max and to secure pole here ahead of what looks like varying conditions tomorrow is hugely important. Sergio starts on the second row and always seem to race better than he qualifies, so we are looking forward to seeing what is to come from him tomorrow. The variable conditions could play into his hands and I think he will be in the mix, two Ferraris in a Red Bull sandwich! With regards to the incident with Max, we are happy with the stewards findings. I don’t think Max was trying to block him, I just think he wasn’t expecting someone to come up behind like that and certainly not again when Lando did it on the final run! I don’t think there was any malice to it though, on either side. Plenty of racing to do tomorrow and we are looking forward to an action packed day here at Suzuka".
Charles Leclerc is enough satisfied with today’s results:
"The car felt good and it’s always great to drive on this track, especially in the first sector because it has so much grip. It’s a very fast lap, but the more you push in the first sector, the slower you are in the last due to the tyres overheating. I think it will be an interesting race. It will be a challenge for everyone to make the right calls with unpredictable weather ahead".
Carlos Sainz Jr. finds that:
"It was a good lap, clean all the way until the last chicane where a snap exiting the last corner cost me quite a bit of lap time. That was frustrating, but we’ll keep pushing. In general, the car felt good today and I’ve been comfortable with the balance all weekend. Tomorrow, we don’t know what the weather will be like, but we are aiming to get both cars up there again. We’ll give everything until the chequered flag".
Laurent Mekies, Ferrari’s Racing Director, finds that today was difficult as Leclerc missed by just one hundredth of a second and Carlos for half a tenth:
"It was an extremely close qualifying session: we missed pole position by just one hundredth of a second with Charles and half a tenth with Carlos. It’s a shame as we know on this track pole is very important, however there were still a lot of positives for us today, as our car was very competitive with both drivers. Together with Max, they were in a league of their own on a track featuring all types of corners and that says a lot about the quality of their cars. So, we can be pleased with the performance of the F1-75, and we were also able to save one set of Soft tyres with both drivers in Q2. It’s a sign that all the work we have done in Maranello over the past few months is paying off, so a big thank you goes to everyone back at the factory. Yesterday the track was always wet, so today we had to start from zero. Both our drivers worked perfectly with the team and were able to get into a rhythm immediately, putting in some solid laps and improving progressively through the sessions all the way to Q3. Tomorrow it’s going to be a very long race with many aspects playing their part, starting with the weather. Tonight we will analyse all the data and prepare for every possible scenario. Max will be as usual super fast, but we will do our best to try and battle with him right from the first lap".
Lewis Hamilton recognises that on this track the Mercedes would have not been competitive for the front row or the win due to the car’s limitations:
"We knew coming to this circuit that we wouldn't be competing for the front row or the win - the Red Bull and Ferrari are in a different league here, and we have some fundamental limitations with our car. It feels good to drive and it was a clean session for me, but we are just a long way off in terms of the ultimate pace. We are pushing as hard as we can and it feels strong in the corners, but we are losing on the straights at this circuit. For tomorrow, I hope we will be a little bit closer, and maybe the weather will play a role, too. I don't think we can race the cars in front in a straight fight - but I hope we can beat the Alpines and my focus is simply on scoring a better result than we managed last weekend".
George Russell says that he hoped for a better place:
"P8 is not where we hoped to be qualifying here in Suzuka. We didn't expect to quite be in the fight with Red Bull and Ferrari, but we are a long way off them, and in fact had our own close battle today with Alpine. We know that our car has a lot of drag and on circuits like this, where you need a lot of downforce but also to be slippery on the straights, we tend to lose out. That's something we are working towards correcting for next year, but it takes time to do so. Looking ahead to the race, I think we will have stronger pace than we showed today: our long runs in FP3 were decent, but I'm not sure if it will be enough to race the top four cars tomorrow".
During the day, Scuderia AlphaTauri is pleased to announce that Nyck de Vries will join the team for the 2023 Formula 1 season, replacing Pierre Gasly who will leave at the end of the current season. The 27-year-old Dutch driver begins his official F1 racing career with one Grand Prix already under his belt, following a stand-in appearance for Alex Albon at this year’s Italian Grand Prix. Additionally, he completed several FP1 sessions in 2022. Dominating in other categories, Nyck has a number of titles already against his name; notably, he was the 2020-21 FIA Formula E World Champion and 2019 FIA Formula 2 Champion, as well as being the 2010 and 2011 Karting World Champion. Said Nick de Vries:
"I’m extremely excited to be joining Scuderia AlphaTauri for 2023, and I want to thank both Red Bull and the team for giving me the opportunity to drive in F1. After Formula 2, I took a slightly different path with motorsport, but F1 has always been my dream and I’m grateful to be able to fulfil it. I’ve had a lot of chances to experience the 2022 car this year and I think that has put me in a great position for the upcoming season, I hope this has helped to prepare me for what is to come. Having spent most of my teenage years in Italy for karting, I’ve always felt at home there, so for me it’s great to be joining an Italian team, that already has a real family feel, and I’m looking forward to meeting everyone and to start to build our relationship before the next season".
Franz Tost adds:
"Scuderia AlphaTauri had a very successful time with Pierre. We will never forget his fantastic victory in Monza and his podium finishes in Brazil and Azerbaijan. I want to thank Pierre for all the effort he’s put into the team in the last years, and I wish him all the best for his future. Now, we are pleased to start a new chapter with Nyck, who’s very much welcome at Scuderia AlphaTauri. He is a very high skilled driver, as he won in all the categories he competed in, with many races and championships under his belt. His last big success was winning the Formula E World Championship, and this is clear evidence that he is a very competitive driver, who deserves a seat in F1. I am looking forward to seeing him in our car and I’m confident that with Yuki and Nyck we will have a very strong driver line up for 2023".
After wet practices and dry qualifying, on Sunday morning, the city of Suzuka wakes up with dark clouds and consequent rain, so that for the start of the race the track is wet. When the pit lane opens the drivers use a mixture of wet and intermediate tyres to assess the conditions before then going on intermediates. Everyone is on the grid, except for Pierre Gasly, who will start from the pit lane after a late breach of parc ferme rules to change his rear wing specification: in fact, his team make the call to change his rear wing ahead of the race. Lights out and Charles Leclerc makes a good start getting the nose of his Ferrari in front of Verstappen’s car on the run to the first corner, but immediately the Dutch goes around the outside and keeps his advantage, while Perez gets the jump on Sainz. Vettel slips on his way to Turn 1 before banging wheels with Alonso and running off the track; because of this he moves down to the back of the field. A few corners later, Sainz is caught out by aquaplaning and crashes out at the exit of the Turn 11 hairpin, hitting an advertising board on the circuit that finishes on track and is then picked up by Gasly, damaging his modified front wing. Zhou spins, while Albon retires from the race because of a contact with Magnussen. The visibility is very little, so the Race Control first sends out the Safety Car and then throws a red flag: the 18 drivers go back to the pits with two of 53 planned laps completed.
Verstappen, Leclerc and Perez are the top three, ahead of Ocon, Hamilton, Alonso and Russell, with Ricciardo, home racer Tsunoda and Schumacher in the final points area. Rain continues to fall hardly during the break and while the race clock is paused at one hour and 55 minutes remaining, the overall three-hour window continuies to tick down, so everyone is worried trying to study the weather radar. First the Race Control states that the action will resume at 2:50 p.m. local time with a rolling start, and adds that there will be more than one lap behind the Safety Car on wet tyres, but then at 2:48 p.m. local time, this is suspended. Shortly after 3:00 p.m., the race clock resumes to offer a definitive cut-off point for the day’s proceedings, whether the action will take place or not, while the rain is still heavy. At the same time, the stewards summon Gasly for an incident under the earlier red flag conditions, and he and a representative of his team require to report to the panel and discuss the matter at 6:00 p.m. After several track assessments it is announced that the race will start again at 4:15 p.m. With just over 48 minutes left on the clock, the Safety Car leads Verstappen and the rest of the field out of the pit lane. Hamilton says on the radio that the track’s good, while Ocon reports that visibility is better so far, and Leclerc adds that it’s not too bad for now.
Verstappen states instead that the rain is increasing, but the Safety Car goes back into the pits with 40 minutes remaining and releases the cars to go racing again. Verstappen restarts and manages to keep Leclerc at bay, while Vettel and Latifi pit for intermediate tyres and go out of their pit boxes side-by-side in an incident that is looked at by the stewards. Verstappen and Leclerc lap quicker than Perez and the cars behind, while Norris and Bottas are the next to stop for intermediates. A lap later, also the leaders swap wets for intermediates, with only Alonso, Ricciardo, Schumacher and Zhou staying out on the extremes. Mick Schumacher is up in the podium places, he is told by his engineer that the team are hoping for the Safety Car, while Alonso and Ricciardo pit for intermediates. After the stops, Verstappen has five seconds of detachment from Leclerc while Schumacher is in P3, ahead of Perez, Zhou and Ocon. Hamilton is seventh, ahead of Vettel, Alonso and Latifi. Zhou pits and emerges at the back of the order, while Schumacher, still on wets, laps some 10 seconds off the pace. Schumacher switches the tyres and rejoins behind Zhou. Behind, Ocon tries to keep Hamilton behind, and behind the English man there are Vettel, Alonso, Latifi, Russell and Norris. Russell does impressive moves on Tsunoda and Norris to work his way back into the points. Several laps later, Russell takes P8 from Latifi, while team mate Hamilton still tries to pass Ocon, but did not manage to do it, despite several attempts.
Perez begins to get closer to Leclerc while everybody is on differing levels; Alonso, Stroll, Tsunoda, Zhou, Gasly all pit for fresh sets of intermediates late on. Verstappen runs the final few laps to take the victory and, just a few moments later, he is crowned World Champion, with Leclerc picking up a five-second time penalty for cutting the final chicane as he defended from Perez. During the pre-podium interviews, Verstappen is told that he has won the title, adding to his 2021 crown, as Leclerc drops to P3 behind Perez. Ocon finishes half a second clear of Hamilton for P4, with Vettel sixth and denying Alonso by just 0.011 seconds. Russell is P8, while Latifi and Norris complete the points area, while Ricciardo, Stroll and Tsunoda are out of the top ten. Magnussen is14th after his early contact with Albon, followed by Bottas and Zhou. Gasly and Schumacher are the final finishers. During the post-race interviews, Max Verstappen is interviewed simply as the winner of the race, but as the programme continues with interviews with Perez and Leclerc, the relegation of the Monegasque driver to third place, following a five-second penalty, is announced, and Max Verstappen is called up, who incredulously answers questions, celebrates with the mechanics, and even before stepping onto the podium asks if there is an error in the final standings, which would determine the drivers' rankings. Verstappen is the 2022 World Champion. He had a bad start and almost lost the lead to Leclerc, but after the rolling start retook the control and pulled out a 27-second lead over the field:
"This is crazy! To win here in Japan is really special, I feel really proud that we could do it here. When I crossed the line, I didn’t know that I was World Champion, there was a lot of confusion but I thought it was quite funny. The first Championship was very emotional and this time it feels very different, it feels even more beautiful because of the season we’ve had. The teamwork has been unreal, we kept on pushing, kept on believing and kept on improving the car. As a Team we’ve made very few mistakes, you can’t be perfect but for most of the races we were close to it. Working together with Honda has been incredible and of course a lot of my thanks goes out to the Team here at track, back at the factory and everyone that’s been contributing with the Red Bull Powertrains division. Everyone has been working flat out and has a huge amount of motivation. Checo has been an incredible teammate and now the full focus is on the Constructors Championship. Let’s see what we can do in Austin".
At the end of the race, the Federation issues a statement after what happened under red flag conditions, with the cars passing by the safety vehicle that was recovering the crashed car of Carlos Sainz Jr. The note explains that the world motorsports body is initiating a thorough review of the events, which will include the exit on the track of recovery vehicles. It is also clarified that in a Grand Prix completed with a minimum of two laps and finished under green flag conditions, points are normally awarded regardless of the percentage of race distance completed.
The measures taken, which were made known before the next United States Grand Prix, concern: the information communicated by the Federation to the teams via the official messaging system so as to notify the teams that a tractor is on the track, with the teams being required to inform both drivers; the development of a virtual safety car and safety car monitoring window for the race direction and the remote operations center in Geneva, Switzerland, to view the status of all cars, whether they are on the track, behind the safety car and in the pits; updating the race directorate's procedures to better define the assignment of tasks to the race control team, including the delegation of monitoring tasks to the remote operations center, as required, under safety car or virtual safety car; in connection with this revision, the delegation of monitoring of cars entering the pit lane under safety car conditions and the resulting length of the train of cars behind the safety car. In addition, the race director, who remains German Niels Wittich until the end of the season, with the abandonment of the idea of rotating race directors, defining Wittich as the sole race director for the last four rounds of the World Championship since the rotation was not met with favorable reviews from the drivers, as well as being in response to criticism of Portuguese Eduardo Freitas' performance in this race; dynamic virtual safety car and the implementation of a new feature that changes the speed delta required of the driver before and in sectors where an accident occurs, so as to help the latter know where accidents have been declared; the revision of the penalty precedents for drivers who fail to comply with the rules regarding yellow flag, double yellow flag, virtual safety car and safety car conditions; the evaluation of the current application of billboards, their construction, location and materials used to prevent the risk of them being ripped off and brought onto the track; and the awarding of full scores, with the Federation confirming how the rules have been applied to the letter, but in the next revision of the sporting regulations it provides further clarity. Regarding the incidents in this race, Pirelli's extreme wet weather tires have been blamed, according to some drivers underperforming. The Federation's technical department initiates talks with the Milanese manufacturer to get to the bottom of the problem. Ferrari decides not to appeal the decision of the stewards to penalize Monaco driver Charles Leclerc in the final laps of the race, believed to have gone off track and taken an advantage, initially second at the finish but later third due to the penalty. Ultimately, Sergio Perez pushed Charles Leclerc lap after lap, then the Monegasque driver ran wide and was handed a penalty, finishing 3rd:
"I am very proud of what Max has done this season; he has stepped up as a driver. I was fighting with him in the beginning but then halfway through the year he moved into another gear, the way he drove in some races was unbelievable. It is a massive day for the Team, to do this in Japan in front on Honda and with a one-two is incredible. Hopefully soon we are able to secure the Constructors Championship for our Team, that will be massive. I am massively looking forward to the rest of the year. It was a great battle with Charles today, it was nice that we got to race because at one point we though we wouldn’t get to. It was a fantastic fight and we were pushing him hard towards the end, it was so difficult to overtake without DRS but I kept the pressure on, he made the mistake and he got the penalty to give me P2".
The Red Bull Racing Team Principal, Christian Horner, is really happy about the race in Japan:
"What a race! Coming to the end, we were not sure we would be awarded full points, but to finish like that is beyond all of our wildest dreams. Max was truly dominant, he has been all season, but he was driving on a different planet today, finishing nearly 27 seconds in front of everyone else is an unreal effort which encapsulates his season perfectly. That is our 14th victory which is a record for the team and exemplifies how he and the team have raised it to the next level at every race. We are incredibly proud of and grateful for all the hard work put in by him and the team, both here and in Milton Keynes and all our partners for helping to make it happen. To achieve this Championship is truly special and to do it here in Japan with Honda makes it even more special. Checo has also had an incredible run, his season has been equally impressive. He is 2nd in the Championship and we are all working hard to keep him there. Equally, we are working to bring home the Constructor Championship after eight long years. So the season isn’t over by a long shot, there is still a lot of racing still to do and we are looking forward to getting back to it in Austin".
Charles Leclerc had a good start, but did not manage to keep Verstappen behind. At the end, he was under pressure from Perez, so locked up and ran wide at the final chicane on the final lap. He returned to the track still in second, but was handed a time penalty:
"I gave it my all, but it was a difficult race for us today. We were strong in warming up the tyres in the first few laps, but then it all faded away. Especially at the end, I struggled with front tyre degradation and it was really difficult to keep Checo [Perez] behind me. I congratulate Max [Verstappen] and Red Bull for an incredible season, they’ve done an excellent job and deserve the title. We will use the last four races to work on our race execution, tyre management and becoming a stronger team all-round so that we can mount an even better challenge next year. We’ve already been making steps in the right direction in the past two races and we will keep on pushing this way until the end".
Carlos Sainz Jr. aquaplaned on the first lap and spun into the barriers:
"A tricky and disappointing Sunday. By the time the race started the call between Intermediates and Wet tyres was very close, but to be honest with either tyre the visibility would have been zero, which was the biggest limitation. I tried to get out of Perez’s spray and found myself in a big puddle, had aquaplaning and couldn’t do anything to hold the car. At that moment my only concern was not being hit. I was in a dangerous position in the middle of the track and I knew the other drivers couldn’t see me. Luckily for everyone, nothing worse happened today. We’ll reset and go back at it in the USA. Congrats to Max Verstappen and Red Bull for the Championship title".
Mattia Binotto, Ferrari’s Team Principal, expresses his disappointment for the result:
"First of all, congratulations to Max on taking his second world title in what has been a great season for him. He deserves it. For our part, the outcome of this shortened race is rather disappointing, especially for Carlos who had to retire on the opening lap in really difficult conditions. Charles drove a good race overall, but unfortunately, he suffered with tyre wear on the Intermediates after pushing very hard in the first few laps after his pit stop. Now we turn our attention to the final four races, ready to fight in Austin in a fortnight’s time".
Lewis Hamilton started behind Ocon and finished behind him too. He pushed his rival but did not manage to pass him, despite trying on several laps:
"Once we got racing today, I had a blast out there - it was so tough in the conditions, hard to see and that's exactly how motor racing should be; a real challenge for us all. I wish we had been able to go longer and do more laps for the fans who waited so patiently, but we ran to time and were beginning to lose the light. In terms of my race, I tried everything I could against Esteban but like we saw yesterday, we were just too slow in a straight line. As soon as I pulled out of the tow, he was able to pull away from me, and I just couldn't get past even though we had a big pace advantage. I was trying every line and got so close, but he drove very well and didn't make any mistakes, so that was the maximum we could do today. Now we need to pick the bones out of these two races and learn our lessons to maximise the points we can score in the final four races. Finally, congratulations to Max - he's done exactly the job he needed to do to win his second title. We know what our problems are with this car, and I believe we have the team to come back stronger next season".
George Russell lost some time due to the pits and finished where he started:
"We need to review and see what we could have done better today. I think we had a stronger car than the result reflects, and that we could have been P6 today. I think that stacking in the pit lane cost me positions, and that made it a frustrating afternoon, so we need to look at it and see what the other options were. I made some good overtakes after that - but it was a case of trying to recover what we had lost. It was a strange afternoon overall: the conditions at the beginning were impossible, not with the grip but in terms of visibility and the amount of spray this generation of cars generates, and we need to learn the right lessons from the incident with the recovery vehicle on track while we were running behind the Safety Car. Overall, this has been a difficult double-header for us, and we've not scored the points we should have - so we need to regroup, focus on the final four races, and try to extract everything from the car we have under us. And of course, congratulations to Max on his second championship; the outcome has been clear for a while, but he and Red Bull have done an exceptional job this year".
The run-up to Max Verstappen's second World Championship title comes to an abrupt and peculiar end, with four races to go. The race for the Constructors' Championship remains open, but only as a matter of numbers, as Scuderia Ferrari is far from the top, and does not seem to have the means to challenge the Red Bull Racing team. The next round of the 2022 Formula 1 World Championship, the United States Grand Prix, will take place in Austin on October 21-23.