'The outcome has been clear for a while' - F1 drivers congratulate new champ Verstappen

The Formula 1 paddock reacted to Max Verstappen's second championship win, with some more positive around the events than others.

Indeed, Verstappen's title came after Ferrari's Charles Leclerc was handed a five-second penalty at the race's end, dropping him to third and lifting Verstappen's Red Bull teammate, Sergio Perez, to second. Ferrari team boss Mattia Binotto was vocal over his driver's penalty and felt it should not have been handed out.

Yet, while the Italian team is still licking its wounds, the rest of the paddock is ecstatic over the Dutchman's championship double. And though there was some confusion in the race's immediate aftermath, Verstappen and the Red Bull team partied late into the Japanese night.

"I still didn't know if it was full points, half points, or whatever," Verstappen, 25, said after the race.

"But then, of course, they read through the rules, and the FIA came to me and said that I was [the] world champion. We then celebrated, and people were still telling me no, you're still missing a point. It was a bit weird, but honestly, I find it quite funny because, at the end of the day, it's not going to change the result in the end, right?"

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The records keep tumbling for the mighty Max ??#F1 pic.twitter.com/SuDjg1zH2i

Teams and drivers react

Verstappen: "This is crazy! To win here in Japan is really special. I feel really proud that we could do it here. When I crossed the line, I didn't know that I was World Champion, there was a lot of confusion, but I thought it was quite funny. The teamwork has been unreal. We kept on pushing, kept on believing and kept on improving the car.

"As a team, we've made very few