Max Verstappen is one penalty point away from a Formula One race ban, but he can reduce that risk after the upcoming Austrian Grand Prix.
The four-time world champion is in the midst of a title fight, as he goes for his fifth straight championship this season. The Dutchman is currently 43 points behind the championship leader, Oscar Piastri, however, and a race ban would likely put a nail in those aspirations.
| Position | Drivers' Championship | Points |
| 1 | Oscar Piastri | 198 |
| 2 | Lando Norris | 176 |
| 3 | Max Verstappen | 155 |
A collision with George Russell at the Spanish Grand Prix brought Verstappen to 11 total points, meaning one more point this weekend would force him to sit out the British Grand Prix at Silverstone.
However, if he escapes the weekend without incident, he can give himself some breathing room.
Verstappen’s penalty points are set to expire after Austria
Formula One’s penalty points system is designed to control driver behaviour. If a driver accrues 12 points on their FIA Super Licence over a 12-month period, they receive a one-race ban. While Verstappen is currently one point from a race ban, some of his current points are set to expire soon.
In last year’s Austrian Grand Prix, Verstappen received two points for a collision with Lando Norris. Those points expire on June 30, 2025, meaning the Red Bull driver needs to survive only one more race before his total points tally is reduced to nine.
Max Verstappen Penalty Points
| Penalty | Incident | Expires |
| Two points | Collision with Norris | 30/06.25 |
| Two points | Incident with Norris | 27/10/25 |
| One point | Under minimum VSC delta time | 1/11/25 |
| One point | Unnecessarily slowly on cooldown lap | 1/12/25 |
| Two points | Collision with Piastri | 8/12/25 |
| Three points | Collision with Russell | 1/6/26 |
That would not make a future ban impossible for Verstappen. He received three points for causing a collision with Russell in Spain, where Verstappen won his first race in Formula One, and if he were to do the same at Silverstone, he would still receive a race ban.
Three points were the highest single tally he received in the last 12 months, however, making the threat of a ban far less likely. But Verstappen’s incidents in Formula One have built him a reputation for erratic and occasionally dangerous driving.
For this to become a reality, Verstappen, one of Formula One’s best ever drivers, will need to keep it clean throughout the race weekend at Austria’s Red Bull Ring.
Verstappen’s rift with Russell increases race ban likelihood
Verstappen’s collision with Russell was not the first incident between the pair over the last few seasons. The drivers have engaged in a heated rivalry dating back to 2023, and that boiled over once again in Canada last time out.
Russell beat Verstappen to pole position in qualifying, meaning the pair lined up on the front row next to each other to start the race. “I’ve got a few more points on my license to play with,” joked Russell when asked about his mentality going into the first corner.
At the end of the race, Verstappen and Russell once again made headlines when Russell suddenly braked under the safety car with Verstappen behind him.
“Verstappen just overtook me under the safety car”, said Russell immediately on the radio, causing some to question whether Russell attempted to get Verstappen an extra point on his Super Licence, and therefore a race ban.
Red Bull lodged an unsuccessful protest against Russell’s driving after the race, and the Brit presented the FIA with a list of reasons why his driving should not be deemed erratic. While nothing came of the protest, this only added more fuel to the fire in this rivalry.
Should Verstappen and Russell come side by side in Austria, therefore, the history between these two drivers suggests that fireworks could be on the horizon.