The event was the eighteenth round of the 2022 Formula One World Championship and the first time the event had been held since 2019, with the 2020 and 2021 races cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Valtteri Bottas entered as the defending race winner. Going into the weekend, Max Verstappen led the Drivers' Championship by 104 points from Charles Leclerc, second, and teammate Sergio Pérez, third, by 106. Red Bull Racing team led the Constructors' Championship, leading Ferrari by 137 points and Mercedes by 203 points. Max Verstappen had an opportunity to secure his second World Drivers' Championship in a row.
The race started at 14:00 local time on 9 October 2022 under torrential rain. It was red-flagged on lap 2 after Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz Jr. lost control and aquaplaned into the barriers. A recovery vehicle was immediately dispatched. Alex Albon also retired due to a collision with Kevin Magnussen. The race resumed at 16:15 local time behind the safety car. Only twenty-eight laps were completed before the race was curtailed due to it passing the three-hour time limit, with Max Verstappen taking his twelfth victory of the season. Charles Leclerc, who finished second on track, was given a five-second penalty for cutting the final chicane whilst defending from Sergio Pérez in third, which demoted him to third behind Sergio Pérez. This, combined with the win, meant that Max Verstappen took the Championship title. Nicholas Latifi scored his final F1 points.
As less than 75% of the scheduled race distance had been completed, many in the paddock believed Max Verstappen would not be awarded full points. The confusion resulted from a rule change introduced for the 2022 season. The wording of the new regulation only applied "If a race is suspended and cannot be resumed"; as the race was resumed and completed short, the FIA awarded full points. This effectively bypassed the gradual scale points system introduced for 2022. The wording of the sporting regulations was subsequently amended for 2023, so races that do not reach the 75 percent distance and conclude by the time limit are awarded shortened race points regardless of whether a race finishes under red or green flag conditions.
The deployment and position of the recovery vehicle on the track was criticised after AlphaTauri driver Pierre Gasly narrowly missed the vehicle due to poor visibility. Pierre Gasly attacked the deployment as "disrespectful" to the memory of Jules Bianchi, who suffered fatal injuries at the 2014 Japanese Grand Prix when he crashed into a recovery vehicle. Jules Bianchi's godson Charles Leclerc also said that the sport should learn from Jules Bianchi's death. The FIA confirmed there would be an investigation into the deployment of recovery vehicles.
On 21 October 2022, the FIA published its review, recognising that the deployment of the recovery vehicle could have been handled better. The FIA is due to implement a warning system for recovery vehicles on track. The FIA stated that the VSC system would be improved. In addition, the FIA said it would look into further improvements to the full wet weather tyres and to circuit's drainage capabilities. The FIA abandoned the idea of rotating race directors, leaving Niels Wittich as the sole serving race director for the final four rounds of the championship.
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