After his altercations with Lando Norris at the Mexico City Grand Prix, Max Verstappen is getting closer to the penalty point level that might lead to a ban.Just ahead of his title rival, McLaren’s Norris, Red Bull’s top driver finished last weekend alongside pole-sitter and eventual race winner Carlos Sainz. But their continuing battle intensified.
It was the three-time champion’s turn, just a week after the Brit was punished for passing Verstappen off-track in Austin. The Dutchman, who was in second place, attempted to stop Norris but failed, forcing him wide and nearly running into his peer twice, earning him two separate 10-second time penalties.
Verstappen’s championship lead was reduced to 47 points as he finished the race in sixth place as a result of these penalties, with his competitor finishing in second. However, if he keeps accruing penalty points on his super license, he can be subject to more severe penalties.
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A driver can only accumulate 12 points in a year before being banned from one race. Two of Verstappen’s six were awarded to him following his antics in Mexico.
Earlier this season, Kevin Magnussen of Haas was the first to violate this 2014 rule. With eight points, Fernando Alonso of Aston Martin is the only driver with more than Verstappen.
Only the Brazilian Grand Prix remains before November 19th, when two of the penalty points the Dutch star got for pushing Charles Leclerc off the track at the 2023 Las Vegas Grand Prix are scheduled to expire. This turn of events implies that the current world champion may avoid a race ban this year, but he or she is still treading carefully for the upcoming season.
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Verstappen received the aforementioned points when mayhem broke out on Lap 10 of a fierce race in Mexico. Verstappen and Norris fiercely fought for the position behind the Spaniard, as Sainz led the group. As turn four drew near, Norris tried a bold manoeuvre around the outside but Verstappen forcefully shut him down. This resulted in a very close call, with contact barely avoided and the McLaren driven off course.
At turn eight, Verstappen made a desperate dive down the inside of Norris, who was now ahead. Due to the Red Bull racer’s aggressive move, both drivers skated off the road, dangerously near a large shunt.
“This guy is dangerous,” Norris said over his team radio, shunning Verstappen shortly after the collision. In a minute, I’ll be inside the wall.”
Verstappen, for his part, was severely punished by the stewards, which caused him to regress in both the battle for victory and his quest for championship points against his opponent. Verstappen has four rounds left in the season and an unmistakable tension building with the British driver after previously earning a few more points for a collision with Norris in Austria earlier in the season.
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