Formula 1: Max Verstappen Crowned World Champion After Chaotic Japan Race

Max Verstappen has won a second Formula 1 title following dramatic scenes at the Japanese Grand Prix.

Verstappen was crowned World Champion at Suzuka after he put in a strong performance, finishing ahead of Charles Leclerc and Sergio Perez.

Wet conditions forced a two-hour stoppage when the race was red-flagged after just three laps before it was determined the conditions were good enough for the drivers to go back onto the track.

It led to confusing scenes at the end of the race amid uncertainty over whether full points would be awarded after only 28 of the 53 scheduled laps were completed.

But awarding full points, the sport's governing body the FIA said that reduced points only applied if a suspended race could not restart.

Verstappen would also have been denied the championship if Leclerc finished second.

And after Leclerc crossed the line in second place it seemed Verstappen would need to wait until the next grand prix in Austin, Texas to win his second title.

But the Ferrari driver cut the final corner and incurred a five-second time penalty, demoting him to third, meaning his title challenge was over.

In his post-race interview Verstappen was heard asking whether he had become World Champion. "Have I or have I not? I am hearing different things," he said.

He was later confirmed to have won.

After leaning of his victory Verstappen said: "It's crazy, very mixed emotions.

"Winning the championship, what a year we've had. It's incredible!"

The high spray caused by the downpour remained an issue during the race and meant that visibility was limited.

A chaotic opening lap saw Carlos Sainz crash out while both Sebastian Vettel and Zhou Guanyu suffered issues on the track due to the wet conditions.

Verstappen's victory was almost overshadowed when French driver Pierre Gasly had a near miss with a recovery vehicle. Gasly expressed his concern when he saw the vehicle on the track.

He said: "What is this tractor? What is this tractor on [the] track? This is unacceptable. What has happened? [I] cannot believe this."

Gasly was not the only driver to share their surprise that the vehicle had been on the track considering the low visibility.

Others appeared to reference the death of Jules Bianchi who died as a result of the injuries he sustained when he collided with a tractor crane that was removing a vehicle on the same track in 2014.

McLaren Formula 1 driver Lando Norris tweeted: "Wtf (what the f***). How's this happened? We lost a life in this situation years ago. We risk our lives, especially in conditions like this. We want to race. But this…unacceptable."

Sergio Perez added: "How can we make it clear that we never want to see a crane on track? We lost Jules because of that mistake.

"What happened today is totally unacceptable. I hope this is the last time I ever see a crane on track."