Red Bull give F1 penalty update after Max Verstappen punishment

Max Verstappen, Red Bull, FIA, Imola, 2025 — Photo: © IMAGO

Formula 1

Red Bull give penalty update after Verstappen punishment

Red Bull may be set to lose their four-time champion

Originally written by Sam Cook. This version is a translation.

Friday 6 June 2025 03:00

Red Bull have provided an update on FIA penalty points, in an oblique reference to Max Verstappen moving to within a hair's breadth of a race ban.

The reigning Formula 1 champion rammed into rival George Russell last weekend at the Spanish Grand Prix, picking up a time penalty which dropped him from fifth to tenth in the race and later getting three penalty points added to his superlicence.

Those three penalty points mean that Verstappen is now on 11 within the last 12 months, with one more being enough for a one-race ban from F1.

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With none of his penalty points expiring until June 30, Verstappen has to compete at the next two race weekends while walking a tightrope, knowing that a ban at this stage - when he's already 49 points behind championship leader Oscar Piastri - could be fatal for his championship chances.

Red Bull would likely have to replace Verstappen with one of the drivers at Racing Bulls - Isack Hadjar or Liam Lawson - in the event of a ban for their star man, but that would then cause a headache for their junior team.

Now, Red Bull's official website have posted an explainer about F1 penalty points, how they are picked up, and how they can lead to a race ban, just days after their driver landed himself in hot water with race stewards.

Reaction to Verstappen's Spanish GP crash

While Verstappen has come under intense scrutiny from all corners for his move on Russell, the 27-year-old has also been defended by some, who claim his Red Bull team are to blame for their miscommunication.

Verstappen's race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase told the champion to let Russell past him for fourth place after an earlier incident between the pair, an incident that the FIA later confirmed they took no further action on.

What's more, Red Bull's strategy to pit Verstappen during a late safety car even though he only had hard tyres left in his garage led to frustration for the Dutchman, and left many pundits scratching their heads.

In his post-race interview, Russell warned Verstappen to think of the impact his actions have on people who look up to him, while Verstappen himself was not too bothered by the furore caused by his move.

The Dutchman did take to social media earlier this week to say that the move 'shouldn't have happened', but he stopped short of an apology.

Red Bull Max Verstappen George Russell Oscar Piastri Liam Lawson Spanish Grand Prix