Extraordinary Max Verstappen BAN reaction predicted by F1 icon

A former F1 racer has suggested that Max Verstappen will produce an extraordinary reaction should he receive a one-race ban from the sport.

Verstappen is currently sat on 11 penalty points for the 12-month period, meaning that one more point will result in an automatic ban from F1.

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The first of those penalty points expires on June 30, meaning that Verstappen only has to avoid picking up a penalty point in Austria to be able to avoid a ban from the sport, something that would likely be fatal to his championship chances in 2025.

Now, Riccardo Patrese has given his thoughts on what Verstappen would do if he were given a race ban, suggesting that it wouldn't bother the Dutchman.

Italian icon Patrese raced in F1 between 1977-1993, claiming six race victories and 37 podiums in that time.

"I think that for him it's not a problem," Patrese told List of Sweepstakes Casinos about Verstappen's chance of a race ban. "I think he doesn't like it because he probably also has a penalty that he didn't agree to have, and if it happens that he loses the license, for sure he goes in his boat and relaxes for two weeks to wait for the next grand prix. I don't think it's a drama for him, for sure.

"I think at the moment he is the only driver that thinks sometimes he makes old-style fighting and driving as it was in my time," Patrese continued. "I like this because sometimes he fights as he should be. And also he doesn't like to keep the mouth closed as you know at the moment everybody wants to close the mouth of the drivers.

"You cannot say anymore your opinion. Also this I don't like much because if you say something a little bit different then you get penalties and even you have to go and work in the social media.

"So at the end, I think I like Verstappen because he's the only one that now is over all this situation that there are a lot of rules, a lot of penalties, you cannot talk and so on. Probably because it feels very strong because he's a four-time world champion.

"So at the end he says what he wants and he does what he wants and he may be fighting, he loses the license, I think for him it's not a drama, he wins one race and then he comes back and maybe he wins the next race."

Why is Verstappen close to a race ban?

The four-time champion's trouble with the FIA began at the 2024 Austrian GP, when he picked up two penalty points for causing a collision with championship rival Lando Norris.

Since then, Verstappen has been involved in five more incidents including in Abu Dhabi with Norris' McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri and in Spain with Russell, with that particular collision resulting in three penalty points being picked up.

The Dutchman will need to be on his best behaviour in Austria, to give himself a little more breathing space with race stewards.

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