P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Max Verstappen’s first lap crash in the Austrian Grand Prix was actually a blessing in disguise for the Red Bull driver.
Max Verstappen’s breathing room has slightly increased following the removal of two penalty points from his superlicence post the Austrian Grand Prix. Nonetheless, the reigning world champion still faces the peril of a potential race ban as he retains nine points on his licence. Verstappen accumulated three penalty points after his collision with George Russell at the Spanish Grand Prix, totaling 11 points in the recent 12-month period, with 12 triggering an automatic one-race ban. To circumvent the risk of being the first banned world champion, Verstappen needed to complete the Canadian and Austrian GPs without penalties. Happily, he managed to finish the Canadian Grand Prix penalty-free but was unfortunately taken out by Kimi Antonelli at Turn 3 during the Austrian GP. This incident led to a reduction in his penalty points, now standing at nine. If there is a recurrence of an incident akin to the Russell collision before the Mexico City Grand Prix in October, Verstappen might face a ban. For updates on penalty points, post the Austrian GP, check out the complete list here.
