Max Verstappen finds himself on the brink of a Formula 1 race suspension, needing to steer clear of any further penalty points in the upcoming two Grands Prix. This precarious situation arose after a controversial collision with George Russell during the recent Spanish Grand Prix.
Stewards assessed Verstappen a 10-second time penalty for the incident involving the Mercedes driver on Lap 64 of Sunday`s race. This penalty significantly affected his result, causing him to drop from fifth place to finish in tenth.
Critically for his racing licence, race officials also added three penalty points, increasing his total over the past 12 months to 11 points.
According to Formula 1`s disciplinary regulations, any driver who accumulates 12 penalty points within a 12-month span automatically receives a one-race ban. Penalty points remain on a driver`s super licence for a full year from the date they were issued before expiring.
Former Haas driver Kevin Magnussen was the first competitor to be handed a ban under this system, which was first implemented in 2014.
Verstappen`s current points total includes two points received for a collision with Lando Norris at last year`s Austrian Grand Prix, which are not set to expire until June 30. With two races scheduled before that date – the Canadian Grand Prix on June 15 and this year`s Austrian GP on June 29 – Verstappen must compete in both Montreal and at the Red Bull Ring without incurring a single additional point. Earning even one more point would bring him to the 12-point threshold, resulting in a ban for the British Grand Prix at Silverstone on July 6.
The necessity for careful driving extends beyond June, as Verstappen will still have at least nine penalty points on his licence until October 27, when the next set of points from the previous season will expire.
Discussing the situation in Barcelona on Sunday night, Red Bull team principal Christian Horner acknowledged the challenge ahead for his driver: “You can never guarantee anything. He`s just got to keep his nose clean in the next couple of races. Then the first points come off at the end of June.”
Verstappen`s tenth-place finish in Spain also had an impact on his position in the Drivers` Championship, reportedly leaving him 49 points behind the leader (as stated in the original text) – a deficit equivalent to two race victories.
Marcus Prine