Penalty Threat Ignored: Verstappen Stands by Driving Approach

Max Verstappen dismisses concerns over his penalty points, vowing to maintain his aggressive driving style despite suspension risks.

Max Verstappen has accumulated a significant number of penalty points during the final races of the 2024 season but insists that the threat of an imminent Grand Prix suspension won’t push him to change his approach.

The Red Bull driver currently has eight penalty points. He will face an automatic one-race suspension if he reaches 12, and no points will be cleared from his record before the British Grand Prix… in July.

Red Bull consultant Helmut Marko admitted last month that Verstappen “will need to start being careful” to avoid a suspension. However, the four-time world champion has no intention of doing so.

“I won’t change my driving style because of it,” Verstappen told Blick when asked about Marko’s comments.

“I know when I’ve gone too far,” he said. “Like in the finale in Abu Dhabi, when I attacked Piastri at the start. I had no problem apologizing to him after the race.”

Verstappen’s collision with Piastri earned him his two most recent penalty points. It was the fourth time in the last five races of 2024 that he received such points on his license.

He was particularly frustrated by the penalty he received after qualifying for the Qatar Grand Prix, where the stewards ruled that he had impeded George Russell, costing him pole position.

“It only took me one night to move on from such a setback because there’s no point in carrying anger into the next day. If you fuel my ambition, I can always move forward.”

“We could debate some penalties and the points for hours. Now, like Fernando (Alonso), I already have eight penalty points. But I won’t change my driving style.”