The Dutchman defends his title, but not only the manner of victory differs from last year. The former firebrand could shape an era - even if a shadow falls on his first World Cup trophy.
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Elmar Bruemmer and Phillip Schneider Suzuka
The small room behind the winners' podium formula 1 is something like that Kiss and cry corner, where figure skaters wait for their grades. But the racers already know how their race went. There are always enough emotions. Here in 2015, Nico Rosberg, angry and desperate, threw his cap at the newly crowned champion Lewis Hamilton. Cameras and sound went along. In the event that a world champion should also be crowned in Suzuka, the organizers pushed a wide red brocade armchair into the next room on Sunday. And after Verstappen wholeheartedly denied the question of whether he had defended his title, the master of ceremonies of the racing series then pushed him into the coronation room. With the scrutiny of a visitor to a furniture store, the Dutchman took a seat in the armchair, he still didn't quite trust it.