Max Verstappen had every reason to leave the Spanish Grand Prix frustrated on Sunday – but beyond the immediate disappointment, the long-term consequences could pose deeper trouble for the 65-time Grand Prix winner.
Red Bull’s strategy backfired when Verstappen’s planned third pit stop was disrupted by an ill-timed caution, allowing his rivals to take advantage with a free stop and turning the race on its head.
On the restart, Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc surged past Verstappen, who then found himself locked in a tense duel with Mercedes’ George Russell. The two clashed wheels twice in a bruising battle that capped off a day to forget for the reigning champion.
Verstappen was hit with a 10-second penalty that dropped him to 10th place. McLaren teammates Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris capitalized on the chaos to secure a 1-2 finish.
But the implications may extend beyond a single race. Verstappen was assessed three penalty points in the aftermath, bringing his total to 11 over the past 12 months.
A one-race ban is triggered if a driver accumulates 12 penalty points in a 12-month span.
Verstappen, who won the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix on May 18, declined to discuss the penalty situation after Sunday’s race.
“Does it matter?” he said. “Yeah, OK, that’s great. I prefer to speak about the race, not just one single moment.”
Another penalty point at the next race – the Canadian Grand Prix on June 15 – would result in an automatic suspension for the Austrian Grand Prix on June 29.
Two of Verstappen’s current penalty points, dating back to last year’s race in Austria, are set to expire on June 30.
Russell questioned Verstappen’s driving in the aftermath.
“It’s down to the stewards to decide if it was deliberate or not. Max is such an amazing driver – so many people look up to him – it seems completely unnecessary,” Russell said. “I don’t know what’s going through his mind. It felt deliberate in the moment. It felt surprising.”
Verstappen currently sits third in the Formula 1 standings with 137 points, trailing leader Piastri by 49. Norris is second with 176.
