Max Verstappen race ban update as three drivers affected ahead of Brazilian GP
Max Verstappen is one of three drivers who have had penalty points removed from their FIA super licenses ahead of the Brazilian Grand Prix, with the Dutchman now no longer at risk of a race ban
Max Verstappen is no longer teetering on the brink of a race ban after three penalty points were scrubbed from his record ahead of the Brazilian Grand Prix. The Dutchman's 12-month tally now stands at a more comfortable six, while his rival Oliver Bearman has also been given some wiggle room as they head into the final four rounds of the season.
Both Verstappen and Bearman had clean runs at the Mexican Grand Prix, finishing in third and fourth places respectively. The Haas driver notched up his career-best result and was just shy of a podium finish.
Post-race, both drivers received a bit of good news as the FIA wiped points off their super licences in line with sporting regulations. Verstappen had been slapped with two penalty points for forcing Lando Norris wide in Mexico last season and another for a virtual safety car violation in Brazil. These have now been erased from his record.
Bearman, on the other hand, has been perilously close to a race ban, just two penalty points away since his collision with Carlos Sainz at the Italian Grand Prix. His total has now been trimmed down to eight, after the FIA removed two points for a clash with Franco Colapinto in Brazil last year.
The British whizz-kid even copped a 10-second time penalty for a track limit violation during his tussle with former Prema Racing team-mate Kimi Antonelli in Austin, but luckily, this didn't come with any points on his FIA super license.
Verstappen and Bearman aren't the only drivers with alterations to their penalty point tallies this weekend. Championship challenger Oscar Piastri saw two points wiped from his licence following his collision with Liam Lawson at last year's Sao Paulo encounter.
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The additional leeway will come as a relief to both Verstappen and Piastri as they enter the closing phases of an intense championship battle. Both racers are pursuing Norris, who edged one point ahead in the Drivers' Championship table following his dominant triumph in Mexico City last weekend.
Piastri faces the greatest pressure amongst the three title contenders. The Australian has been unable to match either of his championship rivals across the previous five rounds, surrendering a 34-point lead at a worrying pace.
Verstappen, however, recognises that only flawless performances will secure a fifth consecutive title. "It's a big gap," he confessed. "As I said, I need to have perfect weekends, and we didn't have that this weekend. That makes the task even more difficult. But from now on, we just have to win everything. If we don't, it's simply not going to happen."