Max Verstappen one point away from race ban after Spanish GP collision
1st June 2025Red Bull’s Max Verstappen is on the verge of receiving a race ban after he collided with Mercedes’ George Russell at the Spanish Grand Prix.
Feature image credit: Red Bull Content Pool // Getty Images
At the Spanish GP, Verstappen’s temper flared, and the Dutchman was on the receiving end of the stewards’ glare. The FIA have now confirmed that the four-time world champion is on the brink of a race ban.
Verstappen was given a 10-second time penalty for causing a collision with Russell at turn five, on lap 64, as his team ordered him to give up the track position due to an earlier collision between the two, three laps prior.
However, the FIA’s document has now revealed that the time penalty was not the only punishment. Due to the collision, the Stewards concluded that Verstappen caused the collision and slapped three penalty points onto his license.
As a result, it now means that Verstappen sits on 11 penalty points on his super licence, one away from the maximum 12. In the report, the Stewards said:
“From the radio communications, it was clear that the driver of Car 1 [Verstappen] was asked by his team to ‘give the position back’ to Car 63 [Russell] for what they perceived to be an earlier breach by Car 1 for leaving the track and gaining a lasting advantage (in fact, we had later determined that we would take no further action in relation to that incident.)
“The driver of Car 1 was clearly unhappy with his team’s request to give the position back. At the approach to Turn 5, Car 1 significantly reduced its speed thereby appearing to allow Car 63 to overtake. However, after Car 63 got ahead of Car 1 at the entry of Turn 5, Car 1 suddenly accelerated and collided with Car 63.
“The collision was undoubtedly caused by the actions of Car 1. We therefore imposed a 10-second time penalty on Car 1.”
If Verstappen accumulates one more point, the four-time world champion will see his championship hopes hampered with a race ban.
This was first served, in its history, last year when Haas’ Kevin Magnussen claimed the maximum allowance and was forced to miss out the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, replaced by the team’s current driver Oliver Bearman.
Verstappen will have to avoid any more points on his licence until at least June 30, where his two penalty points from his crash with McLaren’s Lando Norris at the 2024 Austrian Grand Prix will be wiped.
Until then, he will still have to tackle the upcoming Canadian Grand Prix, on June 15 and the Austrian GP, on June 29.
Read more Formula 1 here:
- Piastri leads McLaren 1-2 at Spanish GP as Verstappen boils over
- How the grid shapes up for F1 2025 Spanish Grand Prix
- Lance Stroll withdraws from Spanish GP due to injury
- Oscar Piastri leads McLaren front-row for Spanish GP
- Oscar Piastri tops final Spanish GP practice ahead of Lando Norris
- Oscar Piastri tops Spanish GP FP2 to complete McLaren double
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Hi, I’m Kamron. I created ApexMotorsports.co.uk in the dying embers of the 2021 Formula 1 world championship. It allowed me freedom to write whatever I wanted to write about which was all things motorsports, my passion.
I have put a lot of effort in over the years to keep this website in its best shape and I’ve loved seeing the brand grow consistently, month-on-month, year-on-year. My ambition is to keep watching this brand grow into a primary outlet of news for all things motorsports whilst fueling my desire to pursue a career in sports journalism, specialising in motorsports.
Kamron Kent
Hi, I'm Kamron. I created ApexMotorsports.co.uk in the dying embers of the 2021 Formula 1 world championship. It allowed me freedom to write whatever I wanted to write about which was all things motorsports, my passion. I have put a lot of effort in over the years to keep this website in its best shape and I've loved seeing the brand grow consistently, month-on-month, year-on-year. My ambition is to keep watching this brand grow into a primary outlet of news for all things motorsports whilst fueling my desire to pursue a career in sports journalism, specialising in motorsports.
