Max Verstappen was given three penalty points in addition to a 10-second time penalty for a controversial incident in the final laps of the Formula 1 Spanish Grand Prix, where he seemed to purposefully collide with George Russell’s Mercedes, leading to him finishing 10th.
This brought his total penalty points for the recent 12-month period to 11, with a potential race ban looming if it reaches 12.
The incident occurred while Verstappen was third in the race and the safety car was out, prompting him to pit for new tires along with other front-runners like the McLarens.
Verstappen protested receiving hard tires, which were the only option available. Upon the restart, he battled with oversteer and lost positions to competitors like Leclerc and Russell.
The stewards later concluded that Verstappen attempted to let Russell pass as advised but then collided with him when accelerating unexpectedly at Turn 5.
The team radio communications and race data were reviewed, revealing the sequence of events and Verstappen’s actions.
