Max Verstappen said the confusion at the end of the Japanese Grand Prix that saw him declared Formula One world champion was “quite funny”, but an impending cost-cap ruling could wipe the smiles off faces in the Red Bull garage.

The 25-year-old Dutchman became the second youngest double world champion on Sunday, after Sebastian Vettel, when Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc was given a time penalty relegating him to third place at Suzuka.

The news emerged as Verstappen was giving his post-race TV interview, but even then there was uncertainty as to whether reduced championship points would be awarded because the winner had completed only 29 of 53 laps because of bad weather.

After it was confirmed that full points had been given, it left Verstappen 113 clear of his teammate Sergio Perez and 114 ahead of Leclerc, with a maximum of 112 available in the season’s final four races.

“This is crazy,” said Verstappen. “I didn’t know that I was world champion, there was a lot of confusion, but I thought it was quite funny.

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