682: How F1's Own Goals Caused A Suzuka Shambles

“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“. Those are the words of Max Verstappen. At the Japanese Grand Prix, the 25 year old Dutchman won his second World Championship with a dominant performance in the wet. But it wasn’t just his supremacy in Suzuka, his 32nd GP win, which led to his title coronation. After all, he has won 12 Grand Prix this year, plus the Sprints in Italy and Austria. But over the weekend, Verstappen was denied his moment of elation when taking the chequered flag. Whether it’s tears, screams or the perfect soundbite from a team boss, those few seconds after crossing the line are edited for a prime time spot in news bulletins around the world. In many ways, it’s Formula 1’s shop window. So what went wrong last weekend? • Why wasn’t Verstappen told he was world champion? • Why were some teams unsure of when to stop racing? • And how did a new rulebook, a shortened race and a last corner penalty cause a perfect storm of confusion? Let's get up to speed with Motorsport.com’s Jonathan Noble and Martyn Lee. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices