How Max Verstappen ended up one penalty point away from a one-race ban

Max Verstappen's clash with George Russell successful Spain moved him to the brink of an automatic one-race ban.

The Red Bull operator was handed a 10-second clip penalty for slamming into the broadside of Russell successful the closing laps of Spanish Grand Prix, an incidental helium aboriginal said connected Instagram "wasn't right" and "shouldn't person happened."

But a perchance bigger effect came from the stewards room: 3 punishment points connected his FIA superlicence, taking him to 11 implicit a rolling 12-month period. It leaves him 1 abbreviated of the 12-point threshold which triggers an automatic contention suspension.

It means Verstappen -- the grid's astir breathtaking racer, famed for his all-or-nothing attack - volition person to locomotion a tightrope astatine this weekend's Canadian Grand Prix and Red Bull's location race, the Austrian Grand Prix, 2 weeks later. Two of his punishment points volition expire connected June 30, moving him 3 points distant from a contention prohibition successful clip for the British Grand Prix.

This regularisation has forced a operator to beryllium retired of a contention before. Kevin Magnussen missed past year's Azerbaijan Grand Prix having accumulated 12 points, with Oliver Bearman replacing him.

Penalty points are awarded based connected the severity and circumstances of each incident, though antithetic stewards astatine each circular means determination is country for mentation of the regulations and allowance for extenuating circumstances. Regardless, Verstappen's transgression successful Spain has near him nary wriggle room. Even a comparatively insignificant incidental could onshore him successful blistery h2o again.

Here are the types of offences that could outgo him a race...

Causing a collision

This is the astir communal indiscretion that tin pb to a punishment constituent oregon points and comes erstwhile the stewards deem 1 operator intelligibly to blasted for a coming unneurotic with a rival. Verstappen's arguable barge into Russell successful Spain was enactment into this class and deemed worthy of the astir utmost punishment disposable to the stewards -- 3 points, the astir they tin manus retired for an idiosyncratic incident.

Although volition was ne'er proved and Verstappen stopped abbreviated of saying helium had done it connected purpose, determination was precedent for this benignant of incident. Sebastian Vettel got the aforesaid successful 2017 erstwhile helium drove alongside and swerved into Lewis Hamilton astatine the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. On that occasion, 1 wherever intent was somewhat much obvious, stewards deemed his determination "potentially dangerous," though that connection was not repeated successful the Verstappen/Russell verdict.

Four of Verstappen's different punishment points person fallen nether the aforesaid "causing a collision" banner:

• Two punishment points for his clash with Lando Norris astatine the Austrian Grand Prix, erstwhile they collided portion warring for the lead.

• Two punishment points for his clash with Oscar Piastri astatine the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix astatine Turn 1, wherever helium spun the McLaren operator astir with an over-optimistic lunge.

Verstappen's erstwhile teammate Liam Lawson is 1 of the worst offenders successful this category, with each six of his punishment points coming from causing a collision with different operator -- helium received 2 for pitching Valtteri Bottas into a rotation astatine past year's Qatar Grand Prix, for example. Even his contiguous admittance that helium was incorrect and that the determination had been clumsy did not halt the stewards dishing retired the points.

Forcing different operator disconnected the track

This is different country wherever Verstappen has flaunted the limits of the rulebook considerably successful the past and, fixed Canada's galore overtaking zones and wont for throwing up melodramatic races, feels similar a imaginable information constituent this weekend.

Another 2 of Verstappen's points came successful this class successful his controversial clash with Lando Norris astatine the Mexico City Grand Prix past year. While warring for position, Verstappen doubly forced Norris wide -- earning him 2 abstracted 10-second penalties successful the contention itself, arsenic good arsenic the punishment points.

These penalties tin travel successful a flash. Nico Hulkenberg recovered that retired successful Austria's sprint past year, locking up and understeering done Turn 1 portion forcing Fernando Alonso wide -- helium earned 2 punishment points successful the process.

Given the mode Verstappen is known for going racing, the men and women connected the Red Bull pit partition volition beryllium holding their corporate enactment immoderate clip the Dutchman is successful adjacent quarters with different contention car implicit the adjacent 2 weekends. But different infractions distant from the realms of wheel-to-wheel racing could propulsion him implicit the edge, too.

Leaving the way and gaining an advantage

Although this is simply a communal crushed for an in-race penalty, the guidelines issued to the stewards suggest a 10-second punishment with zero punishment points. That is the precedent acceptable successful astir caller examples, though Magnussen received 3 of the points that yet resulted successful his prohibition aft being penalised 3 times for leaving the way and gaining an vantage astatine the 2023 Miami Grand Prix.

The Haas operator was attempting to support Hamilton down him successful bid to support the points connected connection for teammate Hulkenberg, and consistently near the way to support the past Mercedes operator behind. On the 3rd occasion, the stewards felt the request to not lone contented a 10 2nd punishment but besides 3 punishment points.

"This was the 3rd lawsuit of Car 20 leaving the way and gaining a lasting advantage," the stewards connection said. "We considered the punishment guidelines for specified infringements which supply a baseline of a 10-second punishment with zero punishment points. However, the guidelines besides state: 'The points indicated are intended to beryllium the norm for a peculiar offence. The stewards whitethorn alteration these, taking into relationship mitigating oregon aggravating circumstances. However, the authorization of the Stewards to summation the points assessed is intended to beryllium utilized lone successful exceptional circumstances.'

"Taking into relationship the information that this was the 3rd lawsuit of leaving the way and gaining an vantage successful a azygous session, which we considered to beryllium an aggravating circumstance, we enforce 3 punishment points."

Infringements nether yellows oregon reddish flags

Lando Norris inactive has 3 punishment points connected his licence for speeding nether double-waved yellowish flags, having been caught retired successful memorable circumstances astatine the Qatar GP past year. During a tense combat with Verstappen the McLaren operator had failed to output accordingly erstwhile helium needed to. The eagle-eyed Verstappen had caught this and radioed his Red Bull squad to pursuit it up with the FIA.

Overtaking nether yellowish flags and nether reddish flags is besides prohibited, arsenic Bearman recovered retired successful Monaco this twelvemonth erstwhile helium passed Carlos Sainz nether reddish flags successful Friday practice. The Haas operator claimed it was safer not to dilatory abruptly, but the stewards disagreed and gave him 10-place grid driblet and 2 punishment points.

Driving unnecessarily slowly

One of Verstappen's 12 punishment points was incurred for driving unnecessarily dilatory during qualifying for the Qatar Grand Prix. The regularisation exists to debar melodramatic closing speeds betwixt cars connected a blistery thigh and cars connected a mentation lap, though it is seldom enforced arsenic mitigating circumstances usually relationship for a operator being supra the maximum delta time.

However, successful Verstappen's lawsuit helium impeded Russell arsenic the Mercedes operator besides prepared for a qualifying thigh and truthful was penalised 1 spot connected the grid and fixed a punishment point. The incidental sparked an ongoing feud betwixt the drivers arsenic Russell alleged Verstappen had threatened to "put my f***ing caput successful the wall" arsenic they near the stewards office.

Safety car and virtual information car infringement

Speeding nether a information car oregon virtual information car tin effect successful penalties, with drivers permitted to instrumentality to a delta clip displayed connected their steering instrumentality erstwhile they are deployed. It is besides the work of the pb operator to support a 10 car-length to the information car until it switches its lights disconnected to resume racing.

Russell received a azygous punishment constituent erstwhile helium was deemed to person near a spread treble that size (over 125 metres) during the Qatar Grand Prix.