Max Verstappen picked up a spate of penalty points in the final races of last season, but says the looming threat of a ban won’t lead him to change his approach.
The Red Bull driver is on eight penalty points. He will receive an automatic race ban if he reaches 12, and will not have any points removed from his licence until the British Grand Prix in July.
Red Bull motorsport consultant Helmut Marko admitted last month Verstappen will “need to start being careful” in order to avoid a ban. But the four-times world champion doesn’t intend to.
“I won’t change my driving style because of that,” Verstappen told Blick. “I know when I’ve gone too far.
“Like at the finale in Abu Dhabi when I attacked Piastri at the start. I had no problem apologising to [him] after the race.”
Verstappen’s collision with Piastri earned him his most recent two penalty points. It was the fourth time in the last five events of 2024 that he picked up penalty points.
He was incensed by the penalty he received after qualifying for the Qatar Grand Prix last year, where the stewards ruled he delayed George Russell. However, Verstappen rebounded the following day to claim his ninth victory of the season.
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Verstappen said it only takes him “one night” to put such a setback behind him, “because there’s no point in carrying your anger into the next day.”
“If you spur my ambition, things can get going,” he added.
“We could discuss some of the penalties and the points for hours. Now, like Alonso, I already have eight penalty points. But I’m [not] going to change my driving style.”
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