Charles Leclerc finished third for Scuderia Ferrari in a soaking wet Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka.

11-10-2022 07:40 -

The race started on time, at 2pm local, but was stopped on lap 2 after Carlos ended up in the barrier at turn 12, with the rain intensifying. The Grand Prix was finally restarted a couple of hours later, with everyone on full wets, for what was effectively a 28 lap sprint race. After seven laps, Max Verstappen and Charles pitted for Intermediates and, with his F1-75 working very well, the Monegasque set about pursuing his Dutch rival. However, after around a dozen laps, he began to suffer with tyre graining and had to defend from Sergio Perez who was closing in on him. Leclerc took the flag in second place, but moments before that, he had cut the final chicane leading onto the start-finish straight, for which he was given a five second penalty, that dropped him to third. Verstappen has thus won the Drivers' World Championship title.