Max Verstappen F1 penalty points bombshell as FIA told to 'park him' with race ban

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Max Verstappen F1 penalty points bombshell as FIA told to 'park him' with race ban

Verstappen has hardly been the poster boy for F1 in 2026

Kerry Violet F1 News Editor

F1 editor and journalist covering motorsport since 2024.

Wednesday 6 May 2026 09:55

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The blame has been laid at Max Verstappen's door for the new F1 regulations being met with so much negativity, so much so that one legend of the sport feels he should be penalised for his contribution to F1's declining reputation.

F1 has enjoyed a stratospheric rise in popularity ever since Liberty Media acquired the commercial rights to the sport in 2017.

Thanks to the hit Netflix docuseries Drive to Survive and the constant crossover content with A-list celebrities and influencers, the sport now has a much more global appeal.

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But F1's reputation has taken quite a hit in 2026 after the introduction of the new chassis and power unit rules, which have been completely overhauled for this season and beyond.

Some of F1's most influential figures have been highly critical of the direction the sport is heading in, with four-time champion Verstappen the most vocal with his criticisms.

Among retirement threats which Dutch media claim to be 'serious', Verstappen has labelled the new era of F1 as being like 'Formula E on steroids', also referring to it as 'anti-driving'.

But is he right to call out the sport he once dominated in such a public manner? Juan Pablo Montoya certainly doesn't think so.

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Montoya says Verstappen should be punished for F1 2026 complaints

In an appearance on the BBC Sport's F1 Chequered Flag Podcast Montoya called out Verstappen and his criticism of the 2026 regulations after last weekend's Miami Grand Prix.

Ironically, Verstappen made less of a scene when it came to airing his issues with the current regulations in Miami, but still maintained further changes to the rules were needed.

"I hope that next year we can see more significant changes," he told media in Miami. "It takes more than a few adjustments to get back to full-speed racing."

But Montoya thinks the drivers should be keeping any anti-F1 opinions to themselves, even going as far to suggest that Verstappen should be slapped with eight penalty points for his negative comments so far this season.

Speaking to F1 reporter Harry Benjamin and 1996 champion Damon Hill, the former Williams driver and seven-time grand prix winner said: "You’ve got to respect the sport.

"I'm okay [with] you not liking the regulations, but the way you were speaking about what you're living off and your own sport, there should be consequences for that."

Hill then took control of the podcast narrative, seeking clarification from Montoya by asking: "When you say consequences, like what? Fining Max for saying something negative you think?"

"Park him," Montoya replied, doubling down on his view.

"Add seven points to the license… eight points to the license that whatever you do after, you're going to be parked.

"I guarantee you, all the message would be different," he continued, implying perhaps Verstappen would change his tune if he knew he’d be penalised for speaking out against the sport.

"I'm not saying don't say that you don't like the regulations because if you don't like it, you have complete right to an opinion," he continued, before Hill suggested that fans take kindly to opinionated drivers.

"It's okay to be outspoken, I'm not saying don't be outspoken, but don't come and call an F1 car a Mario Kart. Because you say, "oh, I feel like a boost" and hold on, when the rear wing was opening and you were getting 30ks or 20 miles an hour, was that not fake?" Montoya concluded.

Written by

Kerry Violet - F1 News Editor

Having graduated from the University of Sheffield with a 2:1 in Journalism in 2022, Kerry continued her pursuit of finding a full-time position in motorsport through work with the F1 Arcade in London, where she got to meet true fans of the sport and make a live grand prix watch party memorable for them. It was here that she confirmed her dream of combining her background in journalism and love of motorsport, going on to volunteer with the female-led platform Empoword Journalism. Having completed stints as a screen editor and sports editor, Kerry landed her first F1-specific editorial role with GPFans and has thoroughly enjoyed continuing to work closely with the sport ever since. The access GPFans offers Kerry has allowed her to interview big names such as Naomi Schiff and David Coulthard and given her experiences she could only have dreamt of as a young F1 fan.

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F1 Red Bull Max Verstappen 2026 regulations Juan Pablo Montoya