Max Verstappen’s aggressive move during the closing laps of the Spanish Grand Prix has put the reigning world champion just one penalty point away from an unprecedented race ban. After colliding with George Russell’s Mercedes at Turn 5—moments after being told to yield the position—Verstappen was handed a 10-second penalty, dropping him from fifth to tenth place, and received three penalty points on his FIA super license.
This latest infraction brings Verstappen’s total to penalty points over the past months. If he reaches, he will face an automatic one-race suspension, making him the first reigning champion at risk of such a ban. Verstappen now faces a tense two-race stretch in Canada and Austria, as none of his points will expire until the end of June.
The penalty has sparked intense debate among fans and analysts. A large majority of fans in a recent poll believed Verstappen deserved outright disqualification for what many saw as a deliberate move Russell, the other driver involved, called the maneuver “completely unnecessary,” while Verstappen admitted after the race that the contact “shouldn’t have happened” and described it as a misjudgment.
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has urged Verstappen to “keep his nose clean” in the coming races, as the team cannot afford to lose their star driver at a critical point in the championship fight All eyes now turn to Montreal, where Verstappen’s every move will be under scrutiny.
