After clinching his second straight driver’s championship at the Japanese Grand Prix, Max Verstappen seals the Constructors’ Championship for Red Bull for the first time since 2013, thus ending Mercedes‘ eight-year reign. The spectacular victory also marks Verstappen’s 13th win of the season, rivaling the all-time wins record shared by Michael Schumacher in 2004 and Sebastian Vettel in 2013.
After passing Carlos Sainz out of Turn 1, Verstappen looked to be in control once again in the USGP. However, a slow 11-second pit stop gave Hamilton the lead. Following a battle with Charles Leclerc, Verstappen overtook Hamilton with just six laps remaining and held on for the win.
Verstappen’s victory paired with teammate Sergio Perez‘s fourth-place finish led Red Bull up to 656 points. With three races left in the season, Red Bull now holds an insurmountable 187-point lead over Ferrari in second place. Following the race, Verstappen and the team dedicated the victory to Red Bull founder Dietrich Mateschitz who passed away at age 78 on Saturday.
“It was not made easy for us but in the end of course, extremely happy to win in this difficult weekend for us. I think this was actually a race that he [Mateschitz] would have loved to see,” said Verstappen. “Of course I’m sad, but I’m also incredibly proud of the whole team of the way they’ve operated the whole weekend – apart from the pit stop, but that was a gun failure and these things can unfortunately happen. But we kept it together and we won also the constructors’ [title], so I’m very proud of everyone.”
Team Principal Christian Horner also offered his thoughts, paying respects to Dietrich while emphasizing how much the victory means to him and the team.
“This means everything to us. It’s been such a journey. Dietrich was a very private man, but he was passionate – passionate about life, passionate about sport, and he was especially passionate about Formula 1,” he added. “He had a dream which was to have a Formula 1 team. He did that and, in the end, he had two. He gave us all an opportunity. He believed in us, he backed us, and this is for him.”
The class of the field in 2022 ? #GivesYouWings pic.twitter.com/NhAi6K4C1O
— Oracle Red Bull Racing (@redbullracing) October 24, 2022
2022 ⭐️ The Year of the Bulls ? #USGP ?? pic.twitter.com/1ptSc4wi6N
— Oracle Red Bull Racing (@redbullracing) October 23, 2022
This one is for Dietrich ?
So happy we could wrap up the win and the constructors’ championship, after such an emotional weekend for everyone @redbull. The only thing we could do today was win. pic.twitter.com/Xczad35AKJ
— Max Verstappen (@Max33Verstappen) October 23, 2022
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