(Motorsport) It was just 10 months ago that Max Verstappen won his first World Championship in the most controversial of circumstances at the Abu Dhabi GP. Fast forward to 9th October and the Dutch racing driver has already sealed his second Championship win, this time showing incredible dominance, consistency and intensity. While there can be no controversy this time around, it’s clear that the level of dominance Verstappen has shown this season hints at a possible dynasty that the 25 year old can go on to create. By winning back-to-back World Championships, Verstappen joins the elite company of Michael Schumacher, Lewis Hamilton, Fernando Alonso and Sebastian Vettel as the only drivers to have won consecutive titles this millennium. 

Red Bull Racing and Verstappen didn’t have the best of starts for the 2022 season. The Dutchman had two DNF’s in the first three races while Ferrari showed incredible pace. The early setback didn’t deter a more mature Verstappen however, who played the long game and went toe-to-toe against Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and won those duels fairly. There was no brash aggressiveness like last season and the new Verstappen truly raced like a champion, with his patient approach resulting in race wins at Hungary, Belgium and Italy despite not having the grid advantage. His maturity has led Verstappen to win 12 out of 18 races and the Dutchman could very well break the F1 record of 13 in the final four races.

Verstappen won his second World Championship at a rain affected Japanese Grand Prix which meant that only 29 out of the 53 scheduled laps were completed. The 25 year old not only needed to win the race but also finish with the fastest lap, a feat he managed also due to the fact that Charles Leclerc received a five second penalty in the final lap of the race. This meant that Leclerc, who was initially second was forced to finish third due to the penalty, behind Sergio Perez’s Red Bull, which helped in Verstappen winning the title. The race was initially red flagged and a two hour delay followed due to the conditions. With 45 minutes of racing allowed from the allotted three hours, Verstappen went on to win by 27 seconds, much to the delight of the Red Bull paddock and the team’s fans. 

Speaking after winning his second World Championship, Verstappen said “The first one is a little more emotional, the second one is more beautiful. It's been a special year, and you need to remind yourself of these kinds of years you don't have very often. It's a pretty crazy feeling, of course, because I didn't expect it when I crossed the line. Of course, you could see it slowly happening, but it's incredible at the end of the day that we did win it here. I didn't know how many points I was going to get.”

Japanese GP Final Result, Top 10

1) Max Verstappen, Red Bull
2) Sergio Perez, Red Bull
3) Charles Leclerc, Ferrari
4) Esteban Ocon, Alpine
5) Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes
6) Sebastian Vettel, Aston Martin
7) Fernando Alonso, Alpine
8) George Russell, Mercedes
9) Nicholas Latifi, Williams
10) Lando Norris, McLaren

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