Formula 1 king Max Verstappen is unmoved by the fact that his penalty account has swelled to a threatening level. The Dutchman will not retreat.
Eight penalty points are now recorded in Max Verstappen’s Formula 1 sin register. If three are added, the Red Bull driver will be banned for one race.
A possible Verstappen problem: He will not be given two penalty points until June 30th, and in the first half of the coming season he could earn himself a racing ban for careless or dangerous actions.
When asked about this in an interview with the Swiss “Blick”, Verstappen just shrugged his shoulders. “Well, we could discuss some of the penalties and the points here for hours,” said the four-time world champion and made it clear: “But that’s not why I’m going to change my driving style.”
The 27-year-old recalled the season finale in Abu Dhabi, where he cleared McLaren driver Oscar Piastri after the start. “I had no problem apologizing.”
Formula 1: Max Verstappen talks about marriage to Kelly Piquet
Verstappen is facing an exciting year. In addition to the mission of the fifth title in a series, he and his partner Kelly Piquet are expecting their first child together. In the “Blick” the Dutchman indicated that a wedding would “probably happen soon”.
Red Bull chief advisor Helmut Marko doesn’t believe that Verstappen will be the famous tenth slower as a father. “It is generally said that a driver becomes three tenths slower with the first child. That would mean that Max comes into the range of some of the other top drivers – but he would still be a little above,” the Austrian joked in the interview sport.de: “Looking at it that way: no problem.”
Verstappen is also the “favorite” for the world title in 2025 and, from Red Bull’s perspective, is once again “the clear number one,” said 81-year-old Marko.