Max Verstappen flirting with race ban after latest penalty
(Photo credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images)
Max Verstappen had plenty to be upset about by the time the Spanish Grand Prix was in the books Sunday, but the long-term implications of the outcome could be particularly problematic for the 65-time Grand Prix winner.
The Red Bull racer experienced poor luck when his team's decision to go for a third pit stop was interrupted by a caution situation, allowing his competitors to make an unscheduled stop of their own.
Verstappen was passed by Ferrari's Charles Leclerc on the restart, and the Dutch racer then battled with Mercedes' George Russell, with the pair colliding twice.
Verstappen was penalized 10 seconds, plummeting him to 10th place. The McLaren pair of Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris managed to parlay that situation into a 1-2 finish.
But the situation could have longer lasting consequences, as Verstappen was assessed three penalty points in the wake of the race, putting him at 11 points over the last 12 months.
A race ban is instituted if a racer collects 12 points over a year-long period.
Verstappen, who captured the checkered flag at the 2025 Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix on May 18, did not want to address the penalty situation after the race.
'Does it matter?' he asked. 'Yeah, okay, that's great. I prefer to speak about the race, not just one single moment.'
Being assessed a penalty point at the next race in Canada on June 15 would kickstart the ban, which would keep Verstappen from racing June 29 at the Austrian Grand Prix.
Two of his penalty points, from last year's Austria race, are set to expire on June 30.
Russell called into question Verstappen's maneuvers following the outcome Sunday.
'It's down to the stewards to decide if it was deliberate or not, Max is such an amazing driver, so many people look up to him, it seems completely unnecessary,' Russell said. 'I don't know what's going through his mind, it felt deliberate in the moment, it felt surprising.'
Verstappen currently sits in third place in the F1 standings with 137 points, 49 points behind leader Piastri. Norris (176) is in second place.
--Field Level Media
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Winnipeg Free Press
17 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Messi back with Argentina and Ancelotti debuts with Brazil in South American World Cup qualifying
SAO PAULO (AP) — Brazil's new coach Carlo Ancelotti is getting a little help from his old friend Casemiro as he prepares for his debut in South American World Cup qualifying at Ecuador. Meanwhile star Lionel Messi is expected to play Thursday for Argentina at Chile after a seven-month absence. Veteran midfielder Casemiro, who has had success with the Italian coach at Real Madrid, is likely to be a starter in a match Thursday that could ease the pressure on Brazil, currently in fourth position in the standings. A home win could also put Ecuador close to its berth in the World Cup. The 37-year Messi seems to be in shape to return for Argentina. His most recent game for the World Cup champions was in November 2024. A muscle injury prevented him from playing in the March doubleheader, in which Lionel Scaloni's team secured its spot to defend its title. Argentina leads the round-robin competition with 31 points in 14 matches. Ecuador (23), Uruguay (21), Brazil (21), Paraguay (21), and Colombia (20) could secure direct births this month. The seventh-place team, which will advance to an international playoff, could be Venezuela (15 points), Bolivia (14) or even Peru (10) and Chile (10). Also on Thursday, Paraguay will host Uruguay. Friday's matches are Colombia vs. Peru and Venezuela against Bolivia. Ancelotti keys on returning players Ancelotti has been very communicative with returning players Casemiro and striker Richarlison. Both players were in Brazil's starting lineup in the 15 minutes allowed for journalists to watch practice at the Corinthians training ground in Sao Paulo. Next week, Brazil will prepare at the same venue for the match against Paraguay. Raphinha, who is suspended for the game in Guayaquil, will return to the team next week. Defender Alexsandro, who also hopes to have his national team debut this month, said he was excited about Ancelotti's interest in long conversations with his players. The Italian is still learning Portuguese, but managed to get his message across in Spanish, the Lille player added. 'I saw after our trainings he is very communicative, always asking questions, willing to know more, giving tips. That's important for us to grow, get all the experience and the achievements he has,' Alexsandro said Tuesday. 'We need to take this to the next few matches, qualify and get to the World Cup.' Defender Marquinhos, who had his first training with Ancelotti on Tuesday after lifting the Champions League title with Paris Saint-Germain on Saturday, said Ancelotti's arrival will boost Brazil's chances to add a sixth star to its crest. 'You can see that the arrival of our coach brings this energy for the start, it is about something new coming. This short run until the World Cup, having this energy, it will be very important,' Marquinhos said. Messi returns among other new faces Thursdays Keep up to date on sports with Mike McIntyre's weekly newsletter. Messi's return will add to three new faces Argentina is expected to feature against Chile, if their first training session was an indication. Defenders Kevin Lomónaco (Independiente) and Mariano Troilo (Belgrano), and striker Franco Mastantuono, the 17-year-old River Plate targeted by major European clubs, are likely to get tested. Scaloni will have to decide who will replace defender Nicolás Otamendi, who is suspended for the match at the National Stadium in Santiago. His main options are Leonardo Balerdi and Facundo Medina. Suspensions and injuries will also force Argentina to change its midfield. Alexis Mac Allister was ruled out, while Enzo Fernández and Leandro Paredes are suspended. Frequent starter Rodrigo De Paul is expected to be joined by Giovanni Lo Celso and Exequiel Palacios. ___ AP soccer:
Montreal Gazette
a day ago
- Montreal Gazette
This month's Grand Prix weekend will run smoother than last year's, Plante says
The city has learned from its errors, and this month's Grand Prix weekend will be a much smoother event than the 2024 edition, Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante pledged Tuesday. Last year, Tourism Minister Caroline Proulx bashed the city's lack of organization during Grand Prix weekend, saying she was 'ashamed' of some of the events that transpired. Among them, paddocks were flooded during a heavy downpour, as was the broadcast booth. The city's police force had a miscommunication with race organizers and closed access points to Île Notre-Dame, which led to heavy congestion. And the fire department forced several restaurants to close because their terrasses didn't conform to the city's fire code. Plante said on Tuesday that things will be better for this year's edition of Grand Prix weekend, which gets underway on June 13. She insisted that public transit will be the best way to reach the island, even though transit workers are poised to walk off the job on June 9 for a nine-day strike. During the work stoppage, buses and the métro will only run during morning and evening rush hours and late at night, but regular service will be maintained during the entire Grand Prix weekend. 'Last year a lot of things happened all at the same time,' Plante said. 'What I'm really proud of is that in the last year, we've been working to address every single thing that went wrong and find solutions. It wasn't perfect last year. We need to do better, and this is what we're working towards.' She said, however, the city wasn't solely to blame for all the problems, as the province also owns part of the infrastructure that was problematic. Plante welcomed the decision by the Tribunal administratif du travail allowing transit workers to strike, but ordering service to remain the same during weekday rush hours and the Grand Prix weekend. However, she said she hopes that STM management and employees can come to a resolution resolving the labour conflict quickly in order not to punish users. Also speaking to reporters Tuesday, Éric Alan Caldwell, the chairperson of the STM's board of directors, said he welcomed the declaration of transit as an essential service, but said managers will be scrambling in the coming days to figure out how to modify service during the strike. He plans to meet reporters on Wednesday to further detail how the STM will cope during the labour conflict. Negotiations between the maintenance workers' union and the public transit company are continuing. At issue are the way nighttime and weekend schedules are created, how workers are transferred between facilities and the use of subcontractors and privatization. On Sunday, bus drivers and métro operators, who are part of a separate union, also voted in favour of a strike. This story was originally published June 3, 2025 at 2:56 PM.
CTV News
2 days ago
- CTV News
Changes made to Montreal Grand Prix race after last year's problems, organizers say
Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc, of Monaco, drives through the Senna corner at the Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal, Sunday, June 9, 2024. (Ryan Remiorz/The Canadian Press) In less than two weeks, the eyes of the racing world will be on Montreal. While some of the finishing touches are being put on the track, organizers say you can expect a much different F1 weekend. 'I think it's safe to say that we've done a total 180 compared to last year,' Sandrine Garneau, the Formula One Canadian Grand Prix chief operating officer. Last year's race had a number of problems. The rain caused flooding and a lot of mud at the race site. Communication was also an issue. During practice runs, the stands were evacuated because of the rain and many decided to leave, but then the site reopened. 'Those communications now will be under control,' Veronique Doucet, general manager of the Société du parc Jean-Drapeau. 'There's no orders or communication that will be given during the weekend that is not synchronized with all the communication that is official. So that won't happen anymore.' During a tour of the race site on Monday, officials say it will be easier for fans to get to their seats. There's improved signage and a more secure track. New hospitality suites will also greet F1 teams and the drivers will no longer be parking on grass, which becomes muddy when it rains. Organizers also say work was done to be sure the paddocks won't leak. 'The park has invested a tremendous amount of time and resources into making sure that the building that was built in 2019 is now completely waterproof,' Garneau said. 'A lot of tests have gone on in recent weeks.' Regarding the terrasse fiasco on Peel street, the Société du parc Jean-Drapeau says that, too, has been worked out. 'At the end of the day, whatever is going wrong, wherever it is, it will be associated to the event that we are hosting here,' Doucet said. Formula One will be watching closely. An agreement is in place to have the Canadian Grand Prix until 2031. The racing world knows the pressure is on for Montreal to deliver a top-notch weekend June 13 to 15. 'The management of Formula One is going to take their own sweet time, and they're going to look at how 2025 goes off. If it goes off well, then maybe yes, there's an opportunity to renew the deal or to extend it,' automotive journalist Gabriel Gelinas told CTV News. 'If not, they can start looking for other options, of which they have plenty.' Practice rounds at the Canadian Grand Prix kick off June 13.
