Max Verstappen is now halfway to a race ban after receiving two penalty points on his F1 superlicence during the Mexican Grand Prix. The FIA confirmed this addition comes on top of his in-race time penalties, totaling 20 seconds, for two separate incidents with McLaren’s Lando Norris.

With these points, Verstappen’s total rises to six over the past year. Drivers are banned from one race once they reach 12 penalty points, a rule that has already affected Haas driver Kevin Magnussen this season.

 Christian Horner Defends Verstappen with GPS Data

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner robustly defended Verstappen after the race, presenting GPS data from Norris’s car to the media. Norris managed to close the gap on Verstappen, reducing his lead to 47 points as they head into the final four races of the F1 2024 season.

Horner used the GPS data to argue that “the laws of physics” would have made it impossible for Norris to successfully pass Verstappen on the outside at Turn 4 on Lap 10.

 Martin Brundle Critiques Verstappen’s Aggressive Move

Sky F1 pundit Martin Brundle expressed his frustration over Verstappen’s “plain dangerous” maneuver on Norris at Turn 7, which forced both drivers off the track. After briefly losing position to Norris, Verstappen executed a risky inside move and rejoined ahead.

Brundle labeled the maneuver as “ridiculous,” noting that Verstappen was fortunate not to receive a harsher penalty, like a drive-through.

  Liam Lawson Scolded by Helmut Marko

Red Bull adviser Helmut Marko criticized Liam Lawson for overreacting during his battle with Sergio Perez in Mexico. Lawson, considered a strong candidate to replace Perez at Red Bull for 2025, was seen gesturing at Perez during their wheel-to-wheel duel.

 Concerns for Sergio Perez’s Future at Red Bull

Former F1 driver Ralf Schumacher expressed doubts about Sergio Perez finishing the 2024 season with Red Bull after a disappointing home race in Mexico. Perez has not reached the podium since April, and his struggles continued in Mexico, where he was knocked out of Q1 and later received a penalty for starting outside his grid slot, finishing in 17th place.