RED BULL team boss Christian Horner has admitted that Max Verstappen’s title win at the Japanese Grand Prix was a “mistake” due to the rules.
Confusion reigned after Sunday’s rain-hit race at Suzuka as the Dutchman was crowned champion in a race that had only been half-completed.
Red Bull celebrated consecutive Driver’s Championships after some initial confusion in Japan
A heavy downpour saw the race red-flagged only a couple of laps after it began, with the remainder run under timed conditions due to the rules.
While historical precedent would normally mean reduced points as the full race was not fully completed, instead drivers received the full allocation of points at the chequered flag.
This appeared due to a glaring loophole in the rules introduced by the FIA, F1’s governing body, after last year’s heavily-criticised Belgian Grand Prix.
The 25 points for winning the race was enough to crown Verstappen champion after title rival Charles Leclerc lost 2nd place due to a penalty.
Horner admitted the confusing spectacle should not have happened despite his 25-year-old driver securing another F1 crown.
The team principal told reporters: “I think it’s a mistake that wasn’t included after the issues in Spa last year.
“We were under the strong impression that only with 75 per cent of the race completed would full points be scored.
“So we felt we were going to be one point short. But, in the end, Checo’s move on Charles nailed Max the championship. So you can see his surprise, the team’s surprise. But what a wonderful surprise.”
Verstappen himself admitted his coronation was “confusing”, “weird” and “quite funny”.
The Red Bull driver’s second title had been inevitable for some weeks after he pulled a commanding lead on his rivals with a series of race wins.
But the confusion over the rules echoed the far more controversial ending to last season, when safety cars ruled were implemented incorrectly and effectively lost Lewis Hamilton a record-breaking championship.
Sunday’s race decider also attracted condemnation for reasons outside of the points confusion.
Alpha Tauri’s Pierre Gasly was left furious after a recovery tractor arrived on track to clear up the debris of Carlos Sainz’s crash.
The incident came eight years after Jules Bianchi lost his life after hitting a recovery vehicle at the 2014 Japanese Grand Prix in wet conditions.
Meanwhile, even more controversy raged around the sport yesterday after Red Bull were found to have breached the cost cap.
