Max Verstappen: How F1 world champion might be banned for British Grand Prix and walks penalty tightrope for Austria | F1 Information

This weekend’s Austrian Grand Prix marks the ultimate occasion when F1 world champion Max Verstappen will stroll a penalty tightrope.

Verstappen’s controversial collision with George Russell earlier this month on the Spanish Grand Prix dented his title hopes, however the additional sting within the tail was the three penalty factors it added to his F1 tremendous licence.

The importance of that further sanction was that it moved Verstappen onto 11 factors for the final 12-month interval – one away from triggering an computerized one-race ban below F1’s rules.

​​​​​​Factors keep on a driver’s licence for one yr till they expire. Verstappen doesn’t drop the primary of his present factors haul till June 30 – the Monday after this weekend’s Austrian Grand Prix.

Verstappen got here by the Canadian Grand Prix weekend unscathed though grew to become annoyed at questions on his race ban menace after qualifying second on the entrance row alongside George Russell, who went on to win the race from the Dutchman.

“You possibly can by no means assure something,” mentioned Purple Bull staff principal Christian Horner post-race in Spain when requested concerning the precarious scenario his star driver finds himself in.

“He is simply obtained to maintain his nostril clear…then the primary factors come off on the finish of June.”

Verstappen went penalty-free by the primary eight races of this season as much as Spain – and even longer streaks previously – so Purple Bull will definitely again their four-time champion to strike the correct steadiness once more. However there’s definitely not a lot room for even delicate misjudgement in wheel-to-wheel fight in Spielberg, given the best way the penalty factors have racked up for Verstappen in slightly below a yr.

Explaining F1’s penalty factors system

F1 launched the penalty factors system for on-track guidelines breaches by drivers from the beginning of the 2014 season, designed to behave as an extra deterrent in opposition to being concerned in common incidents on monitor.

Whereas sporting sanctions – akin to time penalties, grid penalties, drive-throughs, and, in probably the most excessive circumstances, disqualifications – are among the many choices obtainable to stewards at grands prix to punish those that are discovered to be predominantly or wholly at fault for on-track rule breaking, additionally they have the choice to use penalty factors – one, two or three – to a driver’s tremendous licence too.

An excellent licence is a compulsory requirement for all drivers to function in Grand Prix weekends and it is on that which penalty factors are utilized.

In that respect, it is much like the totting-up course of on commonplace driving licences for street offences. Like on the street, drivers are banned in the event that they attain the utmost 12 factors – which, in F1’s case, covers a rolling 12-month interval.

The Sporting Laws state: “If a driver accrues twelve (12) penalty factors his licence might be suspended for the next Competitors, following which twelve (12) factors might be faraway from the licence.

“Penalty factors will stay on a driver’s Tremendous Licence for a interval of twelve (12) months after which they are going to be respectively eliminated on the twelve (12) month anniversary of their imposition.”

How has Verstappen collected his 11 factors?

• June 30, 2024 – 2 factors – Inflicting a collision with Lando Norris within the Austrian GP
• October 27, 2024 – 2 factors – Forcing Lando Norris off the monitor on the Mexico Metropolis GP
• November 2, 2024 – 1 level – Driving too quick below a Digital Security Automobile within the Sao Paulo Dash
• November 30, 2024 – 1 level – Driving pointless slowly and impeding George Russell in Qatar GP qualifying
• December 8, 2024 – 2 factors – Inflicting a collision with Oscar Piastri within the Abu Dhabi GP
• June 1, 2025 – 3 factors – Inflicting a collision with George Russell within the Spanish GP

Verstappen’s first two factors from his Austrian collision with Norris expire on the one-year anniversary of the incident, June 30, however the subsequent two after that from Mexico Metropolis final yr don’t come off his tally till the top of October.

That signifies that Verstappen, even when he avoids any ban-triggering factors in Austria, will keep on 9 factors for an extra 9 Grands Prix.

What sort of incidents can set off a single penalty level?

Race stewards can challenge three penalty factors for probably the most severe offences, down to 1 for lesser incidents.

On Thursday, the FIA made public for the primary time two paperwork the stewards use as tips for driving requirements and penalties. Though the paperwork haven’t any regulatory worth, and stewards make their choices independently of the FIA primarily based on relevant rules, the rules advocate applicable penalties for some 100 widespread infringements.

As detailed above, Verstappen has twice collected single penalty factors for incidents over the previous yr – the primary for operating too quick below the Digital Security Automobile within the Sao Paulo Dash, the second in Qatar for driving unnecessarily slowly forward of an oncoming Russell in qualifying.

Russell, coincidentally, picked up the present single level on his personal licence in the identical Qatar weekend by failing to stick to the rule which requires a driver to maintain a ten car-length distance behind the Security Automobile.

Collisions with different vehicles have additionally earned drivers one penalty level within the latest previous (Liam Lawson in Bahrain and Miami) – and never solely in races.

Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll had a single level added to his tremendous licence finally month’s Monaco GP for colliding with Charles Leclerc’s Ferrari in Friday apply.

Esteban Ocon, in the meantime, was handed a one penalty level in Miami final yr for an unsafe pit-lane launch when he exited the Alpine storage and went into the aspect of Leclerc forward of his laps to the Dash grid.

Has anybody reached the 12-point restrict earlier than?

Whereas a number of drivers have come near accumulating 12 lively licence factors, it was solely final season – a decade after the system was launched – that somebody reached the dozen-point marker when Kevin Magnussen did so following a collision with Pierre Gasly within the Italian Grand Prix.

The then-Haas driver missed the next race in Azerbaijan in consequence, with Oliver Bearman taking his place for the Baku weekend.

Earlier than the formal system was in place, Romain Grosjean had been the final driver to be suspended for a Grand Prix after inflicting a large multi-car first-corner collision on the 2012 Belgian Grand Prix. The Frenchman had additionally been concerned in incidents earlier within the marketing campaign.

Michael Schumacher (two races), Eddie Irvine (three) and Mika Hakkinen (one) had been all suspended in 1994 for numerous misdemeanours, whereas Nigel Mansell was barred from the 1989 Spanish GP.

The place would Purple Bull flip if Verstappen missed a race?

Purple Bull, after all, might be hopeful and optimistic that Verstappen, as Horner says, will be capable to “preserve his nostril clear” in Austria to keep away from this turning into a direct and undesirable challenge for the staff.

However had been they out of the blue required to discover a one-off substitute for Verstappen, then one of many two drivers who race for sister outfit Racing Bulls – Isack Hadjar or Liam Lawson – would nearly inevitably be referred to as upon to fill in for one weekend subsequent to Yuki Tsunoda.

Such a reshuffle, although, would in flip create a one-off emptiness on the junior outfit to fill.

Japan’s Ayumu Iwasa, 23, is Purple Bull’s extra skilled back-up choice and has pushed in Friday apply periods for each groups, whereas British 17-year-old and F2 front-runner Arvid Lindblad would additionally now be a viable choice after the staff’s long-standing request for an excellent licence exemption for his or her protege was granted by the FIA this week two months earlier than his 18th birthday.

Sky Sports activities F1’s Austrian GP schedule

Friday June 27
8.50am: F3 Observe
10am: F2 Observe
12pm: Austrian GP Observe One (session begins at 12.30pm)*
1.55pm: F3 Qualifying*
2.50pm: F2 Qualifying*
3.35pm: Austrian GP Observe Two (session begins at 4pm)*
5.15pm: The F1 Present*

Saturday June 28
9am: F3 Dash
11.15pm: Austrian GP Observe Three (session begins at 11.30am)
1.10pm: F2 Dash
2.15pm: Austrian GP Qualifying build-up*
3pm: AUSTRIAN GP QUALIFYING*
5pm: Ted’s Qualifying Pocket book

Sunday June 29
7.25am: F3 Characteristic Race
8.55am: F2 Characteristic Race
10.40am: Porsche Supercup
12.30pm: Grand Prix Sunday: Austrian GP build-up*
2pm: THE AUSTRIAN GRAND PRIX*
4pm: Chequered Flag: Austrian GP response*
5pm: Ted’s Pocket book

*additionally on Sky Sports activities Foremost Occasion

Subsequent up for the 2025 System 1 season is a return to Europe for the Austrian Grand Prix, which is stay on Sky Sports activities F1 this weekend. Stream Sky Sports activities with NOW – no contract, cancel anytime.