Max Verstappen’s penalties have become a hot topic in the racing world right now as the reigning Formula 1 world champion goes through a tough phase. He’s accumulated 11 penalty points, and he’s just one point away from being banned for one race. But how did he get here? Let’s take a look at all his major penalties over the past year that pushed him to the edge and what it means for his future in the 2025 season.
Max Verstappen’s Penalties: All Incidents
1. Collision with Lando Norris – 2024 Austrian Grand Prix (2 points, expires June 30, 2025)
Verstappen received two penalty points for causing a collision with Lando Norris last year at the Austrian Grand Prix. The incident occurred during a heated battle, with Verstappen’s aggressive move resulting in contact and penalties.
2. Forcing Norris Off Track – 2024 Mexico City Grand Prix (2 points, expires October 27, 2025)
In Mexico, Verstappen was penalised for forcing Norris off the track during an overtaking attempt. The stewards judged that Norris was ahead at the entry, apex, and exit of the turn, and Verstappen’s move left Norris no room, earning him two penalty points to Max Verstappen’s penalties.
3. VSC Delta Violation – 2024 Brazilian Grand Prix Sprint (1 point, expires November 1, 2025)
Verstappen was found to be under the minimum Virtual Safety Car (VSC) delta time during the sprint race in São Paulo, resulting in a single penalty point.
4. Driving Unnecessarily Slowly – 2024 Qatar Grand Prix Qualifying (1 point, expires December 1, 2025)
During qualifying in Qatar, Verstappen drove unnecessarily slowly on a cooldown lap, impeding other drivers. This resulted in the addition of one penalty point and a grid penalty to Max Verstappen’s penalties.
5. Collision with Oscar Piastri – 2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix (2 points, expires December 8, 2025)
A clash with McLaren’s Oscar Piastri saw Verstappen penalised again for causing a collision. The stewards deemed his actions avoidable, resulting in two more points.
6. Collision with George Russell – 2025 Spanish Grand Prix (3 points, expires June 1, 2026)
The most recent and severe incident occurred at the 2025 Spanish Grand Prix. Verstappen was involved in a controversial collision with Mercedes’ George Russell. After being instructed by his team to let Russell through, Verstappen slowed dramatically, then accelerated and made contact with Russell. The stewards concluded the collision was “undoubtedly caused by the actions of Car 1 [Verstappen],” issuing a 10-second time penalty and three points to Max Verstappen’s penalties.
What Will Happen If Another Point Is Added To Max Verstappen’s Penalties
With 11 points, Verstappen stands on the brink of a race ban, an unwanted situation for both him and the team. Two of his points are set to expire at the end of June 2025. This means if he manages to pull off this month without a single penalty point, he would easily avoid this situation.
Max Verstappen’s penalties will force him to drive with caution in the upcoming races in Canada and Austria.
Also Read: What Are Penalty Points In F1 And How Did Max Verstappen Get So Many
