GPblog readers choose own 'Driver of the Day' GP Japan 2022

It was Max Verstappen's weekend. The Dutchman won the Japanese Grand Prix by force and also sealed his second world title after a chaotic race. However, viewers elected someone else as 'Driver of the Day', but what do GPblog' s readers think?

Sebastian Vettel was named Driver of the Day after a truly emotional rollercoaster at Suzuka. The German, who was emotional anyway as it was to be his last Formula 1 weekend at his favourite circuit, started the race from an excellent ninth place on the grid. However, he clashed with Fernando Alonso, after which he had to close at the back.

Through a razor-sharp strategic choice by Aston Martin, Vettel still managed to get back to the front and finish sixth, crossing the finish line a few dozen centimetres ahead of Alonso. All this was enough for viewers to declare Vettel Driver of the Day. But what about that at GPblog?

It is abundantly clear: for you, it is not Vettel, but Verstappen who is the convincing Driver of the Day. The Dutchman got a whopping 58 per cent of the votes, but there is also appreciation for other drivers' performances, including Vettel's. However, it was Esteban Ocon who impressed most after Verstappen for his outstanding defence against Lewis Hamilton's attacks.

Sergio Perez, who forced Charles Leclerc into the mistake that gave Verstappen an early title, also gets a fair number of votes. The last outlier is Nicholas Latifi, whose team was also strategically on top with, giving the Canadian his first points of the season.