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Max Verstappen will walk a penalty tightrope at the next two grands prix after moving just one further point away from an automatic one-race ban following his collision with George Russell in the Spanish Grand Prix.
The incident with the Mercedes driver on lap 64 of Sunday’s race saw stewards issue Verstappen with a costly 10-second time penalty which dropped him from fifth to 10th in the final classification.
Furthermore, stewards also added three penalty points onto the world champion’s superlicence – taking him up to 11 for the last 12-month period.
Under F1’s totting-up procedure, drivers receive a one-race suspension if they accrue 12 penalty points in the space of 12 months.
Penalty points stay on a driver’s super licence for a 12-month period before they expire.
Former Haas driver Kevin Magnussen last year became the first to receive a ban under the disciplinary system since it was introduced in 2014.
Verstappen does not drop any of his current points – two, imposed for a collision with Lando Norris in last year’s Austrian Grand Prix – until June 30.
Two races – the Canadian Grand Prix on June 15 and this year’s Austrian GP on June 29 – take place before that June 30 date, meaning Verstappen has to avoid any further incidents in both Montreal and then the Red Bull Ring that could accrue penalty points and force him to sit out a race.
The next event after that is the British Grand Prix at Silverstone on July 6.
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Verstappen controversially collided with Russell towards the end of the Spanish Grand Prix – earning himself a 10-second penalty
Verstappen will also have to remain careful far beyond the end of June in wheel-to-wheel incidents given he will remain on least nine penalty points until October 27, the date the next two points accrued from incidents last season expire.
Asked about the situation on Sunday night in Barcelona, Red Bull team principal Christian Horner said: “You can never guarantee anything.
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Mercedes driver George Russell and Red Bull’s Verstappen gave their thoughts after the pair collided during Sunday’s race
“He’s just got to keep his nose clean in the next couple of races.
“Then the first points come off at the end of June.”
His ultimate 10th-placed finish meant Verstappen fell 49 points behind leader Oscar Piastri in the Drivers’ Championship – the points equivalent of two race wins.
The 2025 Formula 1 season pauses for breath after the European triple-header before resuming live on Sky Sports F1 with the Canadian Grand Prix from June 13-15. Stream Sky Sports with NOW – no contract, cancel anytime
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