New FIA Guidelines Suggest Max Verstappen Should Have Been Banned From Racing
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
Red Bull Racing Formula One driver Max Verstappen looks like he escaped a race disqualification for the incident involving George Russell during the Spanish Grand Prix. This was highlighted after the FIA released the stewards' guidelines, released in a bid to encourage transparency.
The stewards' guidelines document is meant to educate fans on how they hand out penalties to drivers and teams for offenses committed during race weekends. It highlights the steward's decision-making process, which involves weighing the nature of the incident and levying an appropriate punishment based on the magnitude, intent, and consequences of the incident.
However, the document has shed light on the punishment levied on Verstappen for crashing into Russell in the last stage of the Spanish Grand Prix. A late-race safety car forced Red Bull to fit Verstappen's RB21 with hard tires while rival cars ran on medium Pirellis.
Second placed qualifier Max Verstappen of the Netherlands and Oracle Red Bull Racing in the Drivers Press Conference during qualifying ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Canada at Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve on June 14, 2025...
Second placed qualifier Max Verstappen of the Netherlands and Oracle Red Bull Racing in the Drivers Press Conference during qualifying ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Canada at Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve on June 14, 2025 in Montreal, Quebec. MoreThe race restart saw Verstappen struggle in a battle for third place with Charles Leclerc as his car struggled for traction. At the end of Turn 1, Russell tried to get past him for the fourth spot. Sensing a collision, Verstappen drove off into the run-off area and rejoined the track in front of Russell.
Fearing an incoming penalty for overtaking off the racetrack, Red Bull instructed Verstappen to hand P4 to Russell, which he did under frustration. But before this, Verstappen crashed into Russell as the Briton went for the overtake. The stewards handed the Red Bull driver a ten-second penalty and added three points to his super license.
That brought Verstappen's super license points tally to 11, leaving him one short of a potential race ban. The four-time world champion admitted after the race that he made the move on Russell out of frustration, which confirms the deliberate nature of the incident.
The stewards' guidelines released by the FIA today suggest that four penalty points should have been added to Verstappen's super license. The punishment for "Causing a collision with apparent deliberate or reckless intent" is a "10 Stop and go, or any time penalty exceeding 30 seconds (or grid place penalty if the driver failed to finish the race)." In addition, four penalty points are added to the driver's super license.
Adding four points to Verstappen's super license would have banned him from participating in the following race in Canada. While the reason for issuing three penalty points to the Red Bull driver remains unclear, it highlights that the punishment levied is not in line with the rules mentioned in the stewards' guidelines. Now, it remains to be seen if the FIA will comment on the matter.
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