Max Verstappen heads into the Canadian Grand Prix teetering on the brink of a potential race suspension following his recent incident involving George Russell at the Spanish Grand Prix. With just one point standing between him and a suspension, Verstappen has stated he has no intention of altering his driving style, despite being advised to maintain exemplary behavior due to accruing three penalty points from the clash. “I will always race hard,” the assertive Dutch driver declared upon his arrival in Montreal.
Currently, Verstappen possesses a total of 11 penalty points within a 12-month rolling period, nearly reaching the threshold for a one-race ban. After the Austrian Grand Prix later this month, two of those points will no longer count, potentially relieving him of the looming suspension threat. Until then, the possibility of missing a race hovers over his head.
Since the introduction of the penalty point system in 2014, Kevin Magnussen is the only driver to have faced suspension, as he was forced to sit out the Azerbaijan Grand Prix last year after hitting the 12-point limit. Before that, Romain Grosjean received a one-race suspension in 2012 for causing a major accident at the Belgian GP, marking the first such penalty since Michael Schumacher in 1994.
Unfazed by the possibility of becoming the third driver to face such a penalty, Verstappen remains resolute in maintaining his current racing approach. “I cannot just back out of everything,” he said. “I’m just going to race like I always do. I trust myself.” His aggressive style has been a point of contention, having been involved in numerous heated on-track moments with fellow racers, notably during an intense 2021 season when he frequently faced off against Lewis Hamilton and Lando Norris.
Verstappen further commented on the potential suspension, acknowledging it would be “not ideal” for his Red Bull team, which is currently underperforming. Still, he emphasized that any speculation regarding his driving or points concerns him less than it does the media. “I’m not here to try and get a ban,” Verstappen stated in Canada, dismissing the issue as insignificant in his view.
In retrospect, Verstappen took some responsibility for the incident with Russell, expressing on social media that the clash was “not right” and “shouldn’t have happened.” This admission was unexpected to Russell, who noted that such concessions are rare from Verstappen. “I want to believe that he didn’t intentionally try and crash into me, because that would be pretty bonkers,” Russell remarked, crediting the incident to a misjudged attempt by Verstappen to assert his dominance.
Following the incident, Russell benefited by climbing up to fourth place in Spain, and he indicated no need for further discussions with Verstappen regarding their on-track altercation. “There’s nothing from my side we need to talk about,” he said.
Other drivers, like Norris, remain wary of Verstappen’s unpredictable track demeanor, aware of his unwavering competitive spirit despite his current point deficit. “There’s no point trying to think of what to do differently. It’s the same as normal,” said Norris.
Meanwhile, Verstappen seems to be coming to terms with the near impossibility of Red Bull reclaiming the constructors’ championship from their rivals at McLaren. He also appears resigned in trailing behind Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris in the pursuit of a fifth driver championship, currently standing 49 and 39 points behind them, respectively. Piastri, leading the championship, remains unfazed by the potential of Verstappen’s aggression on the track. “I’ll just try and race how I always do,” he stated, emphasizing the importance of staying in the race over proving a point.
Through it all, Verstappen remains unperturbed by external concerns, stating, “I’ll race how I want to race,” reinforcing that his approach will remain unchanged. As he arrives as the reigning victor of the Canadian GP for the third time in a row, the spotlight is firmly on how his tactics will unfold this weekend.