Max Verstappen’s risk of a race ban has been alleviated as three penalty points were removed from his record prior to the Brazilian Grand Prix. This adjustment brings his total points down to six for the past 12 months, providing a more comfortable position as he and his competitor Oliver Bearman approach the final stages of the season.
Both Verstappen and Bearman delivered clean performances at the Mexican Grand Prix, securing third and fourth places, respectively. Bearman achieved his best career result, narrowly missing out on a podium finish.
Following the race, the FIA made a favorable decision to eliminate penalty points from both drivers’ super licenses in adherence to sporting regulations. Verstappen had incurred two penalty points for his actions involving Lando Norris in Mexico and another for a virtual safety car infraction in Brazil, all of which have now been expunged.
Bearman had been at risk of a potential race ban, coming within two penalty points due to an incident with Carlos Sainz at the Italian Grand Prix. His total points have been reduced to eight after the removal of two points related to a collision with Franco Colapinto in Brazil last year.
Additionally, Bearman received a 10-second time penalty for exceeding track limits while racing against Kimi Antonelli in Austin, although this penalty did not result in any points on his FIA super license.
Verstappen and Bearman are not the only drivers to see adjustments in their penalty point totals this weekend. Title contender Oscar Piastri also had two points erased from his license following an incident with Liam Lawson during last year’s Sao Paulo race.
This leniency provides some relief for Verstappen and Piastri as they enter the critical phase of the championship battle. Both drivers are chasing Norris, who gained a one-point advantage in the Drivers’ Championship standings after his dominant victory in Mexico City.
Among the title contenders, Piastri faces the most pressure, having struggled to keep pace with his rivals over the past five rounds, relinquishing a significant lead at a concerning rate.
Verstappen acknowledges the necessity of flawless performances to secure a fifth consecutive title, recognizing the challenging task ahead. “It’s a big gap,” he conceded. “I need to deliver perfect weekends, and unfortunately, we didn’t achieve that this weekend. This makes the challenge even tougher, but moving forward, we must strive to win every race. If not, our goal won’t be achievable.”
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