Max Verstappen could have won his second World Cup title in Japan.
But rainy weather caused the race to be postponed and then shortened.
This means the fight for the WC title in F1 continues for at least one more race this weekend.
It was raining when the Japanese Grand Prix started at Suzuka and Charles Leclerc Ferrari started, but quickly overtaken Max Verstappen, Red Bull. Behind them several drivers suffered aquaplaning, Carlos Sainz crashed, Sebastian Vettel took off and Alexander Albon broke up.
Visibility was very poor, and because the race was raised a red flag and the cars were back in the pits, Pierre Gasly of AlphaTauri was just a few meters away from hitting the tractor.
– It’s totally unacceptable, it’s only been five or six years since we lost Jules Bianchi This should never have happened, Christian Horner, Red Bull’s team principal, told www.moorsport.com.
The race was stopped after three laps, the drivers got back into the pit and had to wait until 09.15 Swedish time. Then the race was restarted behind the safety car, with Max Verstappen taking the start ahead of Charles Leclerc. In total, it took about 40 minutes of racing and there was nothing that could threaten Max Verstappen from achieving victory. He won ahead of Charles Leclerc, Ferrari, third, Sergio Perez, Red Bull who finished third, but with Leclerc going off the track and pushing himself again, race management will conduct an investigation into this incident.
Thus, the WC’s decision is being postponed until the US Grand Prix, which will be decided in Austin in two weeks.