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Senior Writer, F1
Max Verstappen's clash with George Russell in Spain moved him to the brink of an automatic one-race ban.
The Red Bull driver was handed a 10-second time penalty for slamming into the side of Russell in the closing laps of Spanish Grand Prix, an incident he later said on Instagram "wasn't right" and "shouldn't have happened."
But a potentially bigger consequence came from the stewards room: three penalty points on his FIA superlicence, taking him to 11 over a rolling 12-month period. It leaves him one short of the 12-point threshold which triggers an automatic race suspension.
It means Verstappen -- the grid's most exciting racer, famed for his all-or-nothing approach - will have to walk a tightrope at this weekend's Canadian Grand Prix and Red Bull's home race, the Austrian Grand Prix, two weeks later. Two of his penalty points will expire on June 30, moving him three points away from a race ban in time for the British Grand Prix.
This rule has forced a driver to sit out of a race before. Kevin Magnussen missed last year's Azerbaijan Grand Prix having accumulated 12 points, with Oliver Bearman replacing him.
Penalty points are awarded based on the severity and circumstances of each incident, although different stewards at each round means there is room for interpretation of the regulations and allowance for extenuating circumstances. Regardless, Verstappen's transgression in Spain has left him no wriggle room. Even a relatively minor incident could land him in hot water again.
Here are the types of offences that could cost him a race...
Causing a collision
This is the most common indiscretion that can lead to a penalty point or points and comes when the stewards deem one driver clearly to blame for a coming together with a rival. Verstappen's controversial barge into Russell in Spain was put into this category and deemed worthy of the most extreme punishment available to the stewards -- three points, the most they can hand out for an individual incident.
Although intention was never proved and Verstappen stopped short of saying he had done it on purpose, there was precedent for this kind of incident. Sebastian Vettel got the same in 2017 when he drove alongside and swerved into Lewis Hamilton at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. On that occasion, one where intent was slightly more obvious, stewards deemed his move "potentially dangerous," although that language was not repeated in the Verstappen/Russell verdict.
Four of Verstappen's other penalty points have fallen under the same "causing a collision" banner:
Two penalty points for his clash with Lando Norris at the Austrian Grand Prix, when they collided while fighting for the lead.
Two penalty points for his clash with Oscar Piastri at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix at Turn 1, where he spun the McLaren driver around with an over-optimistic lunge.
Verstappen's former teammate Liam Lawson is one of the worst offenders in this category, with all six of his penalty points coming from causing a collision with another driver -- he received two for pitching Valtteri Bottas into a spin at last year's Qatar Grand Prix, for example. Even his immediate admission that he was wrong and that the move had been clumsy did not stop the stewards dishing out the points.
Forcing another driver off the track
This is another area where Verstappen has flaunted the limits of the rulebook considerably in the past and, given Canada's numerous overtaking zones and habit for throwing up dramatic races, feels like a potential danger point this weekend.
Another two of Verstappen's points came in this category in his controversial clash with Lando Norris at the Mexico City Grand Prix last year. While fighting for position, Verstappen twice forced Norris wide -- earning him two separate 10-second penalties in the race itself, as well as the penalty points.
These penalties can come in a flash. Nico Hulkenberg found that out in Austria's sprint last year, locking up and understeering through Turn 1 while forcing Fernando Alonso wide -- he earned two penalty points in the process.
Given the way Verstappen is known for going racing, the men and women on the Red Bull pit wall will be holding their collective breath any time the Dutchman is in close quarters with another race car over the next two weekends. But other infractions away from the realms of wheel-to-wheel racing could push him over the edge, too.
Leaving the track and gaining an advantage
Although this is a common reason for an in-race penalty, the guidelines issued to the stewards suggest a 10-second penalty with zero penalty points. That is the precedent set in most recent examples, although Magnussen received three of the points that ultimately resulted in his ban after being penalised three times for leaving the track and gaining an advantage at the 2023 Miami Grand Prix.
The Haas driver was attempting to keep Hamilton behind him in order to protect the points on offer for teammate Hulkenberg, and consistently left the track to keep the then Mercedes driver behind. On the third occasion, the stewards felt the need to not only issue a ten second penalty but also three penalty points.
"This was the third instance of Car 20 leaving the track and gaining a lasting advantage," the stewards statement said. "We considered the penalty guidelines for such infringements which provide a baseline of a 10-second penalty with zero penalty points. However, the guidelines also state: 'The points indicated are intended to be the norm for a particular offence. The stewards may vary these, taking into account mitigating or aggravating circumstances. However, the authority of the Stewards to increase the points assessed is intended to be used only in exceptional circumstances.'
"Taking into account the fact that this was the third instance of leaving the track and gaining an advantage in a single session, which we considered to be an aggravating circumstance, we impose three penalty points."
Infringements under yellows or red flags
Lando Norris still has three penalty points on his licence for speeding under double-waved yellow flags, having been caught out in memorable circumstances at the Qatar GP last year. During a tense fight with Verstappen the McLaren driver had failed to yield accordingly when he needed to. The eagle-eyed Verstappen had caught this and radioed his Red Bull team to chase it up with the FIA.
Overtaking under yellow flags and under red flags is also prohibited, as Bearman found out in Monaco this year when he passed Carlos Sainz under red flags in Friday practice. The Haas driver claimed it was safer not to slow abruptly, but the stewards disagreed and gave him 10-place grid drop and two penalty points.
Driving unnecessarily slowly
One of Verstappen's 12 penalty points was incurred for driving unnecessarily slowly during qualifying for the Qatar Grand Prix. The rule exists to avoid dramatic closing speeds between cars on a hot lap and cars on a preparation lap, although it is rarely enforced as mitigating circumstances usually account for a driver being above the maximum delta time.
However, in Verstappen's case he impeded Russell as the Mercedes driver also prepared for a qualifying lap and therefore was penalised one place on the grid and given a penalty point. The incident sparked an ongoing feud between the drivers as Russell alleged Verstappen had threatened to "put my f***ing head in the wall" as they left the stewards office.
Safety car and virtual safety car infringement
Speeding under a safety car or virtual safety car can result in penalties, with drivers permitted to stick to a delta time displayed on their steering wheel when they are deployed. It is also the responsibility of the lead driver to maintain a 10 car-length to the safety car until it switches its lights off to resume racing.
Russell received a single penalty point when he was deemed to have left a gap double that size (over 125 metres) during the Qatar Grand Prix.