Max Verstappen flirting with race ban after latest penalty
BERCELONA: 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. - Reuters
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