Red Bull boss reveals Max Verstappen 'will be told not to do anything rash' in Canada as race ban looms large

Red Bull boss Helmut Marko has revealed that Max Verstappen would be told by the team to not do anything rash in Canada, as the driver is on the verge of getting a race ban. The Dutch driver got three F1 penalty points for causing a collision with George Russell in the Spanish GP.

The driver already had accumulated eight points last season, and as a result, the driver is currently at 11 penalty points. As part of the F1 penalty points system, a driver who ends up accruing 12 penalty points within a 12-month period faces a race ban. Last season, Kevin Magnussen became the first driver on the grid to face a ban as a part of this system.

Max Verstappen, with 11 points to his name, is right now on the verge of getting a race ban. The fact that it could happen in Canada and hence force him to sit out of the race in Austria would be a complete disaster not only for the driver but for Red Bull as well. Not only is the Dutch driver very successful at the track, but it is also the home race for the team.

If the Dutch driver gets through the race in Canada and Austria, 2 penalty points would expire and the danger would be alleviated to a certain extent. Talking about Max Verstappen's current situation, Helmut Marko revealed in his Speedweek column that the Dutch driver would be told to not do anything rash. The Austrian wrote,

"Now he can't commit any offenses over the next two race weekends, and of course, he'll be told not to do anything rash. It would be a catastrophe if he couldn't start in Austria. But we don't expect that to happen, because it's certainly not the case that Max does something wrong in every race. After Austria, the first penalty points will be removed."

Red Bull boss explains Max Verstappen's clash with George Russell

Helmut Marko felt that one had to look at the overall situation while judging Max Verstappen's clash with George Russell. The driver was upset about the hard tire, it was followed by the contact with Charles Leclerc on the straight and the moment into turn 1 as well. According to the Austrian, the incident was a result of the environment getting increasingly tense as he wrote,

"Then there was the collision with Max, and you have to look at the overall situation. First, he was given the hard tire even though he didn't want it. Then, on the first lap, there was this swerve that almost sent him flying. Next, Leclerc drove into the side of his car at a good 300 km/h. That was completely overlooked and very dangerous."

He added,

"This naturally made the atmosphere tense. Finally, there was the incident with Russell. And Max, who knows the regulations very well, said he didn't have to give up his position. But he was told he had to give it back. That was a lot of bitter pills to swallow. On top of that, Russell isn't exactly his best friend."

The weekend in Barcelona was a complete disaster for Max Verstappen as he dropped 24 points to Oscar Piastri. The Red Bull driver would be hoping for a change of fortunes soon else the championship could be out of reach for him.