2022 Japanese Grand Prix - Predicament Predictions!

[Rob Dylan]

It's been a behemoth of a season. While in the real world it looks like Max Verstappen will take the crown with many races still remaining in the season, meanwhile in Predicament Predictions it's still all to play for. This after all marks the final round to take place before dropped scores take effect. As a reminder, only the best 18 race results count towards your final score, and we are going to start seeing those who missed a race or two earlier this year start to jump up the order.

While we await that wonderful and complicated endeavour, let's get to predicting for Suzuka. Will Max go back to his winning ways? Will he take the championship? Will Red Bull get disqualified from the race completely? Will the race get cancelled due to unforeseen bees? Make your suggestion below, and do it before the end of FP3 if you don't want to get a penalty. Here is your blank slate:

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.

Pole:
Fastest lap:
First retirement:
Reject of the Race:
Infinite Improbability Drive of the Race:
Deadbeat Teammate of the Race:
Last Place:
How Far Back:




I predict that Max Verstappen will absolutely dominate here, with a surprise comeback race for one Sebastian Vettel - his last great race, they will call it.

1. Max Verstappen
2. Charles Leclerc
3. Sebastian Vettel
4. Sergio Perez
5. George Russell
6. Yuki Tsunoda
7. Fernando Alonso
8. Lewis Hamilton
9. Carlos Sainz Jr.
10. Pierre Gasly

Pole: Max Verstappen
Fastest lap: Max Verstappen
First retirement: Esteban Ocon (yet more Alpine unreliability)
Reject of the Race: Mercedes engineers (letting Hamilton leave his box unsafely, causing him to drive into Sainz and ruining both of their races with damaged cars)
Infinite Improbability Drive of the Race: Sebastian Vettel
Deadbeat Teammate of the Race: Lance Stroll
Last Place: Nicholas Latifi
How Far Back: 2 laps

Good luck everyone

[rachel1990]

2022- when Europe wakes up it will be all over

1. Max Verstappen
2. Sergio Perez
3. Charles Leclerc
4. Carlos Sainz (yes it's going to be one of those)
5. Lewis Hamilton
6. George Russell
7. Lando Norris
8. Pierre Gasly
9. Guanyu Zhou
10. Daniel Ricciardo

Pole: Charles Leclerc (10 poles. 3 wins. Horrific)
Fastest lap: George Russell
First retirement: Yuki Tsunoda
Reject of the Race: Yuki!!!
Infinite Improbability Drive of the Race: Zhou
Deadbeat Teammate of the Race:
Last Place: Latifi
How Far Back: 1 lap

[dr-baker]

2022 Figure of 8 Race Track Grand Prix but without the risk of a demolition derby at the crossover point… unless it rains of course.

1. Verstappen
2. Perez
3. Leclerc
4. Russell
5. Sainz
6. Hamilton
7. Norris
8. Alonso
9. Gasly
10. Ocon

Pole: Verstappen
Fastest lap: Perez
First retirement: Zhou
Reject of the Race: Zhou
Infinite Improbability Drive of the Race: Albon
Deadbeat Teammate of the Race: Latifi
Last Place: Latifi
How Far Back: 1 lap

[Londoner]

2022 Sport Remains Dead Grand Prix

1. Verstappen
2. Russell
3. Hamilton
4. Perez
5. Leclerc
6. Sainz
7. Alonso
8. Norris
9. Vettel
10. Stroll

Pole: Leclerc
Fastest lap: Perez
First retirement: Bottas
Infinite Improbability Drive of the Race: Mercedes
Reject of the Race: Grand Prix Rejects (as people unironically vote for Mercedes and Verstappen for IIDOTR. Sport is dead etc etc)
Deadbeat Teammate of the Race: Ocon
Last Place: Latifi
How Far Back: 1 lap

[mario]

1. Verstappen
2. Perez
3. Leclerc
4. Russell
5. Sainz
6. Hamilton
7. Norris
8. Ocon
9. Gasly
10. Tsunoda

Pole: Verstappen
Fastest lap: Verstappen
First retirement: Schumacher
Reject of the Race: Schumacher
Infinite Improbability Drive of the Race: Norris
Deadbeat Teammate of the Race: Ricciardo
Last Place: Latifi
How Far Back: 1 lap

[pi314159]

1. Verstappen
2. Leclerc
3. Sainz
4. Perez
5. Hamilton
6. Russell
7. Ocon
8. Alonso
9. Norris
10. Gasly

Pole: Verstappen
Fastest lap: Verstappen
First retirement: Zhou
Reject of the Race: Ricciardo
Infinite Improbability Drive of the Race: Alonso
Deadbeat Teammate of the Race: Latifi
Last Place: Latifi
How Far Back: +1

[RAK]

2022 Inevitable Verstappen Victory Grand Prix

1) Verstappen
2) Hamilton
3) Leclerc
4) Russell
5) Perez
6) Sainz
7) Alonso
8) Magnussen
9) Ocon
10) Zhou

Pole: Verstappen
Fastest Lap: Hamilton
First Retirement: Schumacher
ROTR: Schumacher
IIDOTR: Zhou
DBTMOTR: Schumacher
LP: Latifi
HFB: 2 laps

[Alextrax52]

2022 Japanese GP

1: Verstappen
2: Hamilton
3: Perez
4: Russell
5: Leclerc
6: Sainz
7: Alonso
8: Norris
9: Ocon
10: Tsunoda

Pole: Leclerc
Fastest Lap: Verstappen
First Retirement: Schumacher
ROTR: Schumacher (Another crash pushing him further out of Haas)
IIDOTR: Tsunoda: First point since Spain on home turf
DBTMOTR: Latifi
Last place: Latifi
How far back: 75 seconds

[tommykl]

2022 Europe Remembers Asian Time Exists Grand Prix
1. Verstappen
2. Leclerc
3. Hamilton
4. Pérez
5. Russell
6. Alonso
7. Norris
8. Ocon
9. Vettel
10. Gasly

Pole: Leclerc
Fastest lap: Verstappen
First retirement: Albon
Reject of the Race: Ricciardo
Infinite Improbability Drive of the Race: Alonso
Deadbeat Teammate of the Race: Ricciardo
Last Place: Latifi
How Far Back: 1 lap

[Enforcer]

2022 Waiting for Rain which won't arrive GP

1. Max Verstappen
2. Charles Leclerc
3. George Russell
4. Carlos Sainz
5. Lewis Hamilton
6. Sergio Perez
7. Lando Norris
8. Fernando Alonso
9. Yuki Tsunoda
10. Esteban Ocon

Pole: Max Verstappen
Fastest lap: Carlos Sainz
First retirement: Zhou
Reject of the Race: Alfa Romeo
Infinite Improbability Drive of the Race: Tsunoda - Hoping for Japanese driver has a good Japanese GP effort again
Deadbeat Teammate of the Race: Ricciardo
Last Place: Latifi
How Far Back: 1 lap

[IceG]

The 2022 "Mathematically, Max Verstappen can win the 2022 WDC at this race" Infinity-shaped Japanese Grand Prix

Since I believe I scored but 1 point with the predictions for Singapore I will do exactly what a Ferrari strategist would do and repeat them verbatim here:

1. Hamilton
2. Russell
3. Sainz
4. Perez
5. Leclerc
6. Alonso
7. Ocon
8. Bottas
9. Norris
10. Albon

Pole: Verstappen
Fastest Lap: Sainz
First Retirement: Verstappen
Reject of the Race: The large pile of "Max Verstappen 2022 WDC" T-shirts behind the Red Bull garage
Infinite Improbability Drive of the Race: Albon
Deadbeat Teammate of the Race: Ricciardo
Last Place: Stroll
How Far Back: 1 Laps

[Hermann95]

1) Verstappen
2) Hamilton
3) Russell
4) Leclerc
5) Sainz
6) Perez
7) Alonso
8) Ocon
9) Norris
10) Zhou

Pole: Verstappen
Fastest Lap: Hamilton
First Retirement: Tsunoda
ROTR: Latifi
IIDOTR: Zhou
DBTMOTR: Schumacher
LP: Schumacher
HFB: 1 laps

[Bleu]

2022 Suzuki Grand Prix at Hondi

1. Verstappen
2. Leclerc
3. Sainz
4. Perez
5. Hamilton
6. Russell
7. Norris
8. Alonso
9. Ocon
10. Bottas

Pole: Leclerc
Fastest lap: Leclerc
First retirement: Schumacher
Reject of the Race: Magnussen
Infinite Improbability Drive of the Race: Bottas
Deadbeat Teammate of the Race: Ricciardo
Last Place: Latifi
How Far Back:

[Aerond]

2022 Wake up early on Sunday F GP

1. Leclerc
2. Hamilton
3. Sainz
4. Max
5. Russell
6. Perez
7. Alonso
8. Norris
9. Ocon
10. Zhou

Pole: Leclerc
Fastest lap: Max
First retirement: No retirements
Reject of the Race: Schumacher
Infinite Improbability Drive of the Race: Zhou
Deadbeat Teammate of the Race: Latifi
Last Place: Latifi
How Far Back: 1 lap

[Batty]

1. Max Verstappen
2. Sergio Perez
3. Charles Leclerc
4. Carlos Sainz
5. Lewis Hamilton
6. George Russell
7. Lando Norris
8. Fernando Alonso
9. Lance Stroll
10. Esteban Ocon

Pole: Charles Leclerc
Fastest lap: Max Verstappen
First retirement: Valtteri Bottas
Reject of the Race: Nicolas Latifi
Infinite Improbability Drive of the Race: Lance Stroll
Deadbeat Teammate of the Race: Nicolas Latifi
Last Place: Nicolas Latifi
How Far Back: 1

[Klon]

2022 Let's See Whether People Will Notice Something About This Prediction Grand Prix

1. Max Verstappen
2. Sergio Pérez
3. Charles Leclerc
4. Carlos Sainz, Jr.
5. George Russell
6. Kevin Magnussen
7. Sir Lewis Hamilton
8. Lando Norris
9. Fernando Alonso
10. Guanyu Zhou

Pole: Sergio Pérez
Fastest Lap: Sergio Pérez
First Retirement: Daniel Ricciardo
Reject of the Race: Aston Martin
Infinite Improbability Drive of the Race: Kevin Magnussen
Deadbeat Teammate of the Race: Mick Schumacher
Last Place: Sebastian Vettel
How Far Back: 2 Laps

[Rob Dylan]

It's been a productive day on GPRejects. If only just for this, I have finally started catching up again on our Predicament Predictions scores! At Suzuka, we had the interesting scenario where basically all the points handed out for the whole weekend were just for the top three on the podium. The bonus points were basically scraps at the end of the day, and anyone who got VER-PER-LEC got an easy 11 points and a ticket to the top of the results table. The winner, for the first time since Miami, was dr-baker!

Results
1. dr-baker 18
2. mario 17
- Batty 17
4. rachel1990 15
- pi314159 15
- RAK 15
- tommykl 15
- Hermann95 15
- Klon 15
10. Rob Dylan 14
11. Londoner 13
- Freeze-O-Kimi 13
- Enforcer 13
- Bleu 13
15. IceG 9
16. Aerond 8


You'll have noticed surely that mario finished second, and continues a run of incredible results going all the way back about seven or eight races now. With yet another second place and a huge haul of poitns, he has launched himself into the lead of the championship with only four races to go. But just to remind you, this gets even stronger as a lead when you remember that mario has actually missed a race this season! With dropped scores taking effect from here until the end of the season, we are perhaps looking at a fourth Predicament Predictions title on the way for mario!


Standings
1. mario 249
2. RAK 246
3. Aerond 242
4. dr-baker 232
5. Hermann95 225
6. Enforcer 223
7. tommykl 223
8. IceG 216
9. pi314159 211
10. Klon 207
11. Batty 206
12. rachel1990 202
13. Fetzie 192
14. Bleu 185
15. Rob Dylan 174
16. Londoner 163
17. CarloSpace 138
18. Freeze-O-Kimi 134
19. yannicksamlad 99
20. takagi_for_the_win 33
21. dj_vicious 22
22. Miguel98 22
23. Frogfoot9013 22
24. DigitDan7 20
25. Aislabie 14
26. CaptainGetz12 14
27. noiceinmydrink 13
28. Vassago 12
29. mash 7

I'll try to get the next race results out soon

[dr-baker]

Yay, go me!