Leclerc accepts penalty and congratulates Verstappen

Charles Leclerc's campaign to win the 2022 Formula 1 champion hit the buffers at the end of a rain-shortened Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka on Sunday.

To avoid Max Verstappen wrapping up the title with four races remaining, Leclerc needed to ensure that he didn't drop more than eight points behind his Red Bull rival in this week's race.

Although Verstappen proved unstoppable, it looked like the Ferrari driver had just managed to do just enough when he crossed the line in second, after a race that was delayed by more than two hours by rain and then time-capped to 28 laps.

“We were very fast for four or five laps, but unfortunately the race was a bit longer than that,” he explained.

• Read also: Verstappen crowned champion after cruising to Suzuka win

“The fronts were just gone after four or five laps and after that it was all about trying to survive until the end of the race," he continued. "But we were really, really struggling today.

"A bit like the last race, we are very strong warming up the tyre, but then after three, four laps, we just destroy them," he explained.

“The end of the race was extremely difficult," he added. "Obviously Checo was putting quite a bit of pressure behind and I was really struggling with both of my front tyres. So at the end, I ended up making a mistake."

That mistake meant the FIA race stewards handed him a five-second post-race penalty for leaving the track and gaining an advantage at the corner while under heavy pressure from Verstappen's team mate Sergio Perez.

It meant Leclerc dropped to third place in the final results. The Monegasque admitted it was the right call: “I did a mistake and tried to minimise it obviously by trying to go straight," he said.

“I was not aware this was the last lap but a five seconds penalty was the right thing to do to be honest.”

His boss, Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto, had a different view, insisting Leclerc hadn't benefitted from going wide at the final chicane at all despite the FIA saying although he "did not gain a position by going off-track, it was still deemed to have gained a lasting advantage."

Binotto was also unhappy with how the decision was rushed through to allow Verstappen's coronation on the podium, at odds with the length of time it took the stewards to make up their minds last week.

“Seven days after Singapore, while there it took so many laps to decide and then even after the race we had to hear the drivers to take a simple decision which was straightforward, today they took it in a few seconds,” he said.

"“In such a situation, why are you not listening to the drivers while you were doing it in Singapore? Or vice versa, if you go straight for decisions which are obvious.

“It’s very frustrating to see such different timing in decisions,” he continued, adding that he was “very surprised” and “very disappointed” by the decision, telling Sky Italia the decision was "ridiculous and unacceptable".

Despite his disappointment, Binotto was gracious in defeat toward Verstappen n behalf of the Scuderia: "Congratulations to Max for the victory and for the championship, he drove in an excellent way.”

Leclerc also paid tribute to his rival: “A huge congratulations to Max for his second world championship," he said as his attention turned to the final four races of the season and preparing for a new title bit in 2023.

“Exactly, that’s the goal," he confirmed. "I think Max’s title this year was just a matter of time, really. We expected him to win the title.

"Now we need to use those last races in order to become a better team and hopefully put in a bit more of a challenge next year."

There's also the constructors championship to finish off, although Ferrari lost more ground this week after Leclerc's team mate Carlos Sainz aquaplaned off on the opening lap to help trigger a lengthy red flag stoppage.

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