Max Verstappen faces race ban risk after penalty points in Spanish Grand Prix collision

Max Verstappen's aggressive collision with George Russell at the 2025 Spanish Grand Prix has left him just one penalty point shy of a race suspension. With a 10-second penalty dropping him to 10th place and three penalty points added, Verstappen must now carefully navigate the upcoming Canadian and Austrian races to avoid missing a race, while Oscar Piastri extends his championship lead.

Sources:
Formula 1Formula1Motorsportweek+3
Updated 18m ago
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Sources: Formula 1Formula1Motorsportweek+2
Max Verstappen is on the brink of a race ban after receiving three penalty points for a collision with George Russell during the Spanish Grand Prix, bringing his total to 11 out of a maximum 12 within 12 months.

The incident, which saw Verstappen intentionally ram into Russell’s Mercedes, earned him a 10-second time penalty that dropped him from fifth to 10th place. This penalty has intensified the championship battle, as Verstappen now faces the challenge of avoiding further penalties in the upcoming Canadian and Austrian races.

"My perspective is that I just got crashed into! I don’t really know why or what the thinking was behind it," Russell said, highlighting the controversy.

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff described Verstappen’s actions as “incomprehensible” and expressed disbelief over the motives behind the clash, noting that Verstappen had been instructed to let Russell pass.

Nico Rosberg criticized Verstappen’s aggressive behavior, suggesting he should have been black flagged for endangering Russell’s race.

Verstappen himself downplayed the incident, citing tyre grip issues: “I don’t need to say anything about it because it doesn’t matter anyway. I had a big moment there in the last corner. Unfortunately the hard tyres had very low grip so that was quite painful.”

With only one penalty point left before a mandatory race suspension, Verstappen must navigate the next two races without further infractions to avoid missing a race, adding pressure to his championship campaign.

Meanwhile, Oscar Piastri extended his title lead with a victory at the Spanish Grand Prix, capitalizing on the late drama involving Verstappen.

This incident underscores the high stakes and intense rivalries shaping the 2025 Formula 1 season.
Sources: MotorsportweekSkysports
Max Verstappen faces a race ban risk after receiving three penalty points for a collision with George Russell at the Spanish Grand Prix, bringing him to 11 of 12 points allowed in 12 months. Verstappen’s 10-second penalty dropped him from fifth to 10th, intensifying championship tensions.
Section 1 background
My perspective is that I just got crashed into! I don’t really know why or what the thinking was behind it. In the end, I’m glad that I continued with little damage and ultimately it punished him a lot more than me.
George Russell
Mercedes driver
Formula1
Max Verstappen’s actions are incomprehensible. I just heard, actually, that Max had the call to let him pass. I didn’t know. I questioned the motives behind the clash.
Toto Wolff
Mercedes boss
Motorsportweek
Max should get black flagged for his aggressive actions endangering Russell’s race.
Nico Rosberg
former F1 World Champion
1
I don’t need to say anything about it because it doesn’t matter anyway. I had a big moment there in the last corner. Unfortunately the hard tyres had very low grip so that was quite painful.
Max Verstappen
Red Bull Racing driver
Formula1
Key Facts
  • Oscar Piastri won the Spanish Grand Prix, extending his title lead to 10 points over teammate Lando Norris.Formula 1Planetf1
  • Max Verstappen started the race on hard tyres while most other drivers chose soft tyres, leading to grip struggles.2Formula 1
  • Verstappen intentionally rammed into George Russell's Mercedes late in the race, resulting in a 10-second penalty that dropped him from 5th to 10th place.Formula 1MotorsportweekFormula1
  • Verstappen received three penalty points on his race superlicence for the collision, bringing his total to 11 out of a maximum 12, just one point shy of a race suspension.SkysportsFormula 1Motorsportweek
  • Verstappen must avoid further penalty points in the next two races in Canada and Austria to prevent a one-race ban under F1's totting-up procedure.Skysports
  • Mercedes boss Toto Wolff described Verstappen's actions as "incomprehensible" and questioned the motives behind the clash, noting he had heard Verstappen was told to let Russell pass.Motorsportweek
Key Stats at a Glance
Oscar Piastri's title lead over Lando Norris
10 points
Formula 1
Penalty time given to Max Verstappen
10 seconds
Formula 1
Verstappen's drop in race position due to penalty
5 to 10 positions
Formula1
Penalty points on Max Verstappen's superlicence after collision
3 points
Skysports
Total penalty points on Max Verstappen's superlicence
11 points
Skysports
Maximum penalty points before race suspension
12 points
Skysports
Number of races Verstappen must avoid penalty points in
2 races
Skysports

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