Verstappen Advised to Avoid Penalties in Upcoming Races

Former champion Max Verstappen is nearing a potential one-race suspension if he accrues another penalty point at the forthcoming Canadian Grand Prix.

The Dutch driver appeared to purposefully make contact with Mercedes’ George Russell, sparking controversy at the Spanish Grand Prix on Sunday.

Verstappen acknowledged his error in a social media statement, expressing that his frustration led to ‘a move that was incorrect and should not have occurred.’

Verstappen was handed a 10-second time penalty, which resulted in him dropping from fifth to 10th place in the final standings following the incident with the Mercedes driver on lap 64 of Sunday’s race.

In Formula 1, a driver will face a race ban if they accumulate 12 penalty points on their license within a 12-month period.

The points are cleared one year after they are given. Penalties are issued for incidents such as crashes or driving too slowly, and the number of points deducted depends on the severity of the infraction.

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has encouraged Verstappen to maintain a clean record in the races ahead.

“Nothing is ever certain.

“He simply needs to steer clear of trouble in the next few races.

“Then the initial points will be removed at the end of June.”

Current Driver’s Championship leader Oscar Piastri, along with his McLaren teammate Lando Norris, has also accumulated penalty points during the past year.