Max Verstappen’s near race ban threat has been alleviated as three penalty points were removed from his record before the Brazilian Grand Prix. Verstappen now holds a total of six penalty points for the past 12 months, offering him a more secure position as he competes against his rival Oliver Bearman in the final stretch of the season.
Both Verstappen and Bearman delivered commendable performances at the Mexican Grand Prix, finishing third and fourth respectively. Bearman, in particular, achieved his personal best result and narrowly missed out on a podium finish.
Following the race, the FIA made a decision to wipe off penalty points from both drivers’ super licenses in accordance with sporting regulations. Verstappen had previously accrued two penalty points for incidents involving Lando Norris and a virtual safety car violation, but these have now been expunged from his record.
Bearman, who had been on the brink of a race ban with just two penalty points remaining after a collision with Carlos Sainz, saw his total reduced to eight after the FIA revoked two points for an incident with Franco Colapinto in Brazil last year.
While Bearman received a 10-second time penalty for a track limit violation during a battle with Kimi Antonelli in Austin, this penalty did not result in any additional points on his FIA super license.
Apart from Verstappen and Bearman, other drivers like Oscar Piastri also had adjustments made to their penalty points this weekend. Piastri had two points removed from his license following an incident with Liam Lawson from the previous year’s Sao Paulo race.
This leniency in penalty points will be a welcome relief for both Verstappen and Piastri as they approach the intense final stages of the championship battle. The pressure is particularly high on Piastri, who is struggling to keep up with his competitors and has seen a significant lead diminish over the past five rounds.
Verstappen understands the importance of flawless performances in securing his fifth consecutive title, acknowledging the challenging road ahead. He emphasized the need for perfect weekends and emphasized the necessity of winning every race to stay in contention for the championship.