2022 Formula One Japanese Grand Prix

guenther steiner at the japanese grand prix.jpg

Will Max Verstappen become World Champion this weekend?


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One of the most exciting circuits on the F1 calendar will host the racing action this weekend as the field battles for late season points in Japan.

Suzuka’s complex layout has given F1 fans exciting races for decades, and this weekend’s grand prix looks to be no exception. The 2022 cars have allowed for longer and closer battles compared to recent years, and we can expect mid-pack scrapping in Japan this Sunday.

This is the first trip Formula 1 has made to Japan since 2019. Last time out, Sebastian Vettel was the winner, and Lewis Hamilton recorded the fastest lap. Neither of these facts is likely to repeat based on the 2022 results to date. Vettel has struggled for consistency and pace this season, and Hamilton has been unable to reach the championship form we’ve come to expect from him.

Just five races remain in the 2022 season. After Japan, the teams will face off in the United States, Mexico, Brazil and Abu Dhabi. Behind the dominant Red Bull and Max Verstappen, rankings of cars and teams from P2 downward should see some reordering before the end of the season. Teams will be putting their best cars forward, and drivers will be trying to extract the most from them to score late season points.

The most recent F1 race, last weekend in Singapore, produced interesting results and saw Sergio Perez maintain a lead throughout nearly the entire race despite frequent safety cars and virtual safety cars in drying conditions.

The cars winding through the legendary S-curves and ripping through 130R flat out should provide exciting racing action this weekend. What are your predictions for the results? Let us know in the comments below.

Image via: Haas F1
About author
Mike Smith
I have been obsessed with sim racing and racing games since the 1980's. My first taste of live auto racing was in 1988, and I couldn't get enough ever since. Lead writer for RaceDepartment, and owner of SimRacing604 and its YouTube channel. Favourite sims include Assetto Corsa Competizione, Assetto Corsa, rFactor 2, Automobilista 2, DiRT Rally 2 - On Twitter as @simracing604

Comments

And with that, Max wins his 2nd world championship in a row! Although I was certainly revved up for a McLaren 2005 situation where it was a case of either win or bust during the first half of the season.
 
An even more one-sided year than the dreary 2020, but at least 5 different drivers won races that year.
Pretty dull overall.
 
I don't think it was boring.. it is much closer together. Ferari made too many mistakes which increased Max's lead, as I said before the long Mercedes domination was quite boring with the party mode in Qualy and a 100% chance of winning the race every weekend. No F1 is on a good track with more chances for the top 3 teams
 
congrats to max but seriously FIA/F1 is looking a tad farcial again
What would help is ditch this stupid Qualy format made for people with atention span issues, and go back to the 1 hour format we had before, when drivers had time to go around and do their laps without having to queue and trip over each other like it happens today.

This convoluted crap we have now is not even exciting, because all you see is the start finish line, and all the drivers crossing, with a commentator shouting sector times that we can't see, because there is only time to focus on who is crossing the line, and the whole thing is over before you know it, and then you only get to see the pole lap after the fact.
I sort of agree, but the one hour session wasn't ideal as all the top drivers waited right till the end anyways in those days!! I would say have just 2 half hour sessions, lose half the field after Q1 and then the top drivers fight it out for pole in the 2nd half hour.
 
That's kind of what I meant though, to me it was worse than a "normal" not allowing aomeone past impede, because he lost control of the car after a blind corner when he gave it some unexpected welly. Definitely wasn't deliberate, but careless and unsafe moving right across the entire width of the track out of control. Norris's pace wouldn't have been an issue if Verstappen hadn't decided to drop his clog, lose control and lurch across, blocking the entire track. If Latifi or someone generally regarded as a lesser driver had done exactly the same thing, I'd expect the comments about that conduct to be nothing short of scathing. Done now, though and prob won't be a bearing on the race or champ.
in equal measure Max's loss of control wouldn't have been an issue if Lando wasn't going so fast at that point.

Different tyre heating regimens don't help.
 
I sort of agree, but the one hour session wasn't ideal as all the top drivers waited right till the end anyways in those days!! I would say have just 2 half hour sessions, lose half the field after Q1 and then the top drivers fight it out for pole in the 2nd half hour.
My personal solution, since it looks like the long term goal is for the sprint weekend format to become the norm in F1, would be this;

FP1: 90 minutes
Qualifying: 1x30 minutes, sets the grid for both Saturday and Sunday.
FP2: 60 minutes
Sprint: 100km (85 at Monaco)
Grand Prix: 305km (260 at Monaco)

This fulfills the goal of making all three days competitively important, and allievates the issues with the current sprint format;

- Teams losing out on vital practice time.
- Drivers scared to race on Saturday since a crash puts them at the back of the grid for Sunday.
 
Max did a great job with that car this year.
He kept his head down and drove the wheels off of it.
Adrian and RBR gave him a great piece of equipment but he made the difference and 'maximized' what he could do with it.
A well deserved champion in 2022.
 
Premium
My personal solution, since it looks like the long term goal is for the sprint weekend format to become the norm in F1, would be this;

FP1: 90 minutes
Qualifying: 1x30 minutes, sets the grid for both Saturday and Sunday.
FP2: 60 minutes
Sprint: 100km (85 at Monaco)
Grand Prix: 305km (260 at Monaco)

This fulfills the goal of making all three days competitively important, and allievates the issues with the current sprint format;

- Teams losing out on vital practice time.
- Drivers scared to race on Saturday since a crash puts them at the back of the grid for Sunday.

Have you not thought about limiting the amount of qualifying laps instead?
Whereby,
Friday : FP1 90 mins
Q1 session is 30 mins and 5 laps*

Saturday : Untimed warm up and fettling 60 mins
Q2 for the top ten (Q1) qualifiers 30 mins and 10 laps*

Sunday : Bathtub/Lawnmower relay race with driver swaps and half championship points for the top six. (not constructors points**)
Oh yeah, then the race in the afternoon... nearly forgot about that :whistling:


*crossing the line for complete flying lap.
** otherwise Flymo and Royal Dalton would need to cough up $25m apiece.
 
Premium
Guys, let's face it. Latifi is one of the worst drivers and just on Friday, had no clue where to go on the track. And he can still comfortably beat Ricciardo.

Danny should start looking for a civil job, luxury store assistant, host for corporate events, underwear model, escort etc.
 
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When they started mandatory on full wets behind the SC then it would be fine to race. FIA killed the race for all this enthousiast Japan fans.

Yeah, you can see with how they all masterfully slowed down and avoided Sainz and the ad banner. Was definitely fine to race lol

Agree but this is not the way i wanted Max take the championship.

Always something. If the FIA didn't screw something up during the final race, it would've been something like this. Something in a previous race. Or something about winning it too early and the car being OP.

Let's at least be happy the FIA could decide something on short notice in stead of waiting hours or days.

Guys, let's face it. Latifi is one of the worst drivers and just on Friday, had no clue where to go on the track. And he can still comfortably beat Ricciardo.

Why is King Nutella above De Vries in the standings? Because he scored more higher positions than not taking part, during this season? In my mind it would be highest average finishing position xD

At least he's not going out No 21 gain this season unless we have another new driver replacement in the final 4 races, oh jolly xD

An even more one-sided year than the dreary 2020, but at least 5 different drivers won races that year.
Pretty dull overall.

Wasn't bad season overall, just too bad the recently usual Ferrari F-ups went from entertaining to depressing, costing us an exiting title race after ~ 1/3 to 1/2 a season. Otherwise the overall racing across the field was pretty decent this season imo.

in equal measure Max's loss of control wouldn't have been an issue if Lando wasn't going so fast at that point.

Different tire heating regimens don't help.

Maybe they should implement a reverse of the virtual safety car for quali.

In stead of a max delta for sectors, have it min delta for sectors. With a minimum speed, so you can't slow down to complete crawl unless it is to avoid other cars or objects.
 
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He means that it will be his first without having assistance, or controversy. Only his most ardent fans believe that he won in 2021.

It is a bit sad. It's ok to be a bit salty for bit as LH brownnoser. But c'mon, if it wasn't the actual last race it came down to in stead of previous races, not nearly as many people would be still shouting this BS. And the ones still doing it would've looked back to other happening during the season.

(like if Hamilton won it, then Bottas would've stolen the championship from MV, and thus LH would have a 'non-counting' WDC, etc. etc. or there would be some other technical reg issue that would've been brought up, be it minor or drastic like the Ferrari engine whoopsie. It's tiring. But hey, at least LH is the record holder as Schumi had a few less than his actual 7 anyway with that reasoning! =P)
 
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congrats to max but seriously FIA/F1 is looking a tad farcial again

I sort of agree, but the one hour session wasn't ideal as all the top drivers waited right till the end anyways in those days!! I would say have just 2 half hour sessions, lose half the field after Q1 and then the top drivers fight it out for pole in the 2nd half hour.
The top drivers did yes, but that also meant that the other teams had their moment in the sun, and exposure for their sponsors.
 
He means that it will be his first without having assistance, or controversy. Only his most ardent fans believe that he won in 2021.
Skysports and mercedes cant dropped

the whole season was of course a controversy on both sides due to silverstone
 
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A lot of people also don't believe LH won in 2008....

But now he should focus on beating his teammate, he is running out of races to do so :)
Everyone knows what happened at Mercedes this season and why he had such a lousy start, the most unstable car, and the team experimenting with Lewis in the back. He's outqualified his teammate in every race since the bouncing stopped.
 
It is a bit sad. It's ok to be a bit salty for bit as LH brownnoser. But c'mon, if it wasn't the actual last race it came down to in stead of previous races, not nearly as many people would be still shouting this BS. And the ones still doing it would've looked back to other happening during the season.

(like if Hamilton won it, then Bottas would've stolen the championship from MV, and thus LH would have a 'non-counting' WDC, etc. etc. or there would be some other technical reg issue that would've been brought up, be it minor or drastic like the Ferrari engine whoopsie. It's tiring. But hey, at least LH is the record holder as Schumi had a few less than his actual 7 anyway with that reasoning! =P)
None of that makes any sense, and it's kinda drivel. Even the FIA today isn't sure he should be the winner with the new cost cap controversy. There is just too much controversy regarding the 2021 season for Verstappen to be thought of as the unanimous winner, nevermind that this kind has never happened before where the race director directly involved himself in such a manner, and as a result losing his job.
 

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