How Far is Max Verstappen Away From an F1 Race Ban?

Max Verstappen is one of the most aggressive drivers on the Formula One grid right now. We know the Red Bull driver for his no holds barred approach and others often criticize him for his aggressive driving.

But he needs to be careful at the first few races of the season as he is very close to getting himself a race ban. A driver can get himself a race ban if he accumulates penalty points on a super license.

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The Dutch driver currently has 7 penalty points on his super license, which is just 5 away from missing a race. He needs to be really careful that he does not make any rash decisions on the track. Although these points will get reduced substantially throughout the course of the season, a race ban would prove detrimental to his championship cause.

Red Bull advisor sheds light on Max Verstappen and his contract

After winning the world championship in 2021, Verstappen signed a massive contract with Red Bull. By signing a new contract with the Austrian team, Max will race for them until the end of the 2028 season.

But Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko mentioned that there is an option for Max to leave the team. If the performance of Red Bull plummets from its current standard, then the Dutch driver has an option to leave the team.

“If Red Bull experiences a kind of crash, just like in 2014, then there is, of course, an escape clause,” said Marko.

Marko revealed that having Verstappen on the team is important for them as they can attract more partners. He mentioned that Max is an essential link between getting new partners on board.

“Max is an important link in the chess game. It is not surprising that manufacturers take this into account. It was important for Red Bull to be able to say we have committed the best driver to our team until 2028. If you have someone like Max, it has a positive effect on the rest of the team and team partners,” said Marko.

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Max is indeed a great asset for Red Bull in the coming years. But the team needs to keep providing him with the car to win races and championships so that they can keep him in the future.

It would be interesting to see if both Red Bull and Verstappen can win back-to-back titles.