The stewards’ ruling on Max Verstappen’s clash with George Russell in the Formula 1 Spanish Grand Prix resulted in a 10-second penalty and three additional points on his licence, bringing him close to a race ban threshold. Verstappen will need to be cautious in the upcoming races in Montreal and Spielberg to avoid accumulating more penalty points. Over the past year, most of his 11 penalty points have stemmed from collisions or forcing rivals off the track.
One incident contributing to his penalty points was at the 2024 Austrian Grand Prix, where he was deemed guilty of causing a collision with Lando Norris. Despite receiving a 10-second penalty, Verstappen benefitted as Norris retired, solidifying his championship lead. The stewards concluded that Verstappen was predominantly at fault for the incident. Verstappen described the collision as unfortunate and awkward, emphasizing the nature of racing incidents that can have significant consequences.
