Max Verstappen: Purple Bull driver will not change method at Canadian Grand Prix regardless of race ban menace

Max Verstappen says he will not change his method regardless of being on the verge of a race ban forward of this weekend’s Canadian Grand Prix.

Verstappen was given two penalty factors for his collision with George Russell final trip in Spain which implies he has 11 penalty factors on his tremendous licence from the final 12 months.

If a driver reaches 12 penalty factors over a rolling one-year interval, they’re banned for the following occasion. For the reason that penalty system was launched in 2014, solely Kevin Magnussen in 2024 has been suspended for reaching the dozen factors marker.

Verstappen will lose two penalty factors after the Austrian Grand Prix on the finish of June, however might want to come by means of this weekend’s race in Montreal, then the Austria occasion, unscathed.

“It’s there right? There’s nothing you can do about it. We just focus ahead, try to do the best you can every single time. It’s not [about] changing my approach,” he instructed Sky Sports activities F1.

Verstappen added to the written media when requested a few change of method: “I do not know, why ought to I?

“I can’t just back out of everything. I’m going to race how I do. I trust myself.”

Lando Norris found the extreme nature of racing Verstappen final 12 months after contentious battles in Austria, USA and Mexico.

Norris says Verstappen might even “fight more” as a result of he is now 49 factors behind championship chief Oscar Piastri.

“Max is also one of the best in the world because of how he drives. I don’t think anyone can argue against that. I think it’s quite a simple statement,” mentioned Norris.

“What he did last weekend was obviously a little different to what he normally does. It was not just a simple aggression and good, strong, on-the-edge defensive moves. It was something obviously a little bit separate from that.

“I believe Max is who he’s and he is achieved what he has due to how he drives, so there is no such thing as a cause for him to alter that aspect.”

Earlier on Thursday’s media day in Montreal, Mercedes driver Russell mentioned {that a} race ban for Verstappen could be justified, ought to the Dutchman driver attain the 12 penalty factors complete.

However, four-time world champion Verstappen says he is “not worried” a few race suspension.

He mentioned: “What is fair? I mean, is it fair that I’m only 11 points? I don’t know, but at the same time, life is not fair, if you look at it like that.

“I simply come right here to race and I’ll all the time race laborious, race how I believe I ought to race, after which we go on to the following race.”

Verstappen: It was not laborious to place out assertion

On the Monday after the Spanish Grand Prix, Verstappen accepted he was at fault for the conflict with Russell and Christian Horner mentioned he apologised to the staff.

The Dutchman was not eager to speak in regards to the incidents on the Sunday post-race and insists it was “not hard” to place out an announcement.

“I was sharing my view of things, how I thought that race panned out. It was not ideal for me. That was my statement, then I went back to enjoying my day.”

Verstappen was on track to complete third behind the 2 McLarens in Spain till a Security Automotive for Kimi Antonelli’s stricken Mercedes bunched the sphere collectively.

Purple Bull put Verstappen on laborious tyres, since that they had no different new tyres, whereas everybody else within the high 10 was on softs.

Verstappen had an enormous snap of oversteer on the restart out of the final nook and was overtaken by Charles Leclerc, who briefly made contact with him. Russell additionally tried to get by means of at Flip 1 however the pair touched and Verstappen minimize the chicane to maintain fourth place.

All this mixed led to Verstappen’s rising frustration which culminated in him being instructed to let Russell by means of, which Purple Bull didn’t have to do after the stewards deemed the Purple Bull driver did nothing fallacious on the first chicane.

“It was just a very frustrating few laps in a row. I got driven into in the straight after I almost crashed already with these hard tyres,” Verstappen defined.

“Then I got driven into in Turn 1, then they tell me that I have to give the place back. I’m like, ‘that makes no sense’, so it was like a lot of things that just came together.

“It was a misjudgement clearly within the nook. However you do not want to enter full element of why, how and what. Everybody makes errors in life. Everybody learns from them and we simply transfer on.”

Verstappen focusing on podium in Canada

Verstappen has received the final three Canadian Grand Prix however McLaren can be favourites as soon as once more after their spectacular season thus far.

Purple Bull have been comparatively weak on tracks which have a lot of low-speed corners and over bumps, which the latter is a significant function on the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.

“If we can fight for a podium, fighting with Ferrari, Mercedes, I think that already would be a good achievement,” mentioned Verstappen.

“McLaren go fast everywhere. It’s not even in my head. I’m more focused on the other teams.

“I do know that final 12 months, for instance, Mercedes was very sturdy right here. I believe for those who evaluate final 12 months to now, I believe perhaps they’re extra aggressive as effectively. Will probably be laborious sufficient, I believe, to already struggle for a podium.”

Championship chief Piastri, who’s on the lookout for consecutive race wins for the second time this season, wouldn’t rule out Verstappen and expects him to nonetheless race laborious.

“I think for me I’m still going to race how I always race. I think I normally try to race quite smart and keep myself out of trouble,” he mentioned.

“A good saying is that ‘it’s often better to still be in the race than prove that you were right in the situation,’ so I’ll try and keep that.”

Sky Sports activities F1’s Canadian GP schedule

Friday June 13
4pm: F1 Academy Observe One
6pm: Canadian GP Observe One (session begins at 6.30pm)
8pm: The F1 Present
9pm: Crew Principals’ Press Convention
9.30pm: Canadian GP Observe Two (session begins at 10pm)
11.25pm: F1 Academy Qualifying

Saturday June 14
2.10pm: F1 Academy Race One
5.15pm: Canadian GP Observe Three (session begins at 5.30pm)
7.30pm: F1 Academy Race Two
8.30pm: Canadian GP Qualifying build-up
9pm: CANADIAN GP QUALIFYING
11pm: Ted’s Qualifying Pocket book

Sunday June 15
3.50pm: F1 Academy Race Three
5.30pm: Grand Prix Sunday: Canadian GP build-up*
7pm: THE CANADIAN GRAND PRIX*
9pm: Chequered Flag: Canadian GP response
10pm: Ted’s Pocket book

*additionally on Sky Sports activities Primary Occasion

The 2025 Components 1 season resumes stay on Sky Sports activities F1 with the Canadian Grand Prix this weekend. Stream Sky Sports activities with NOW – no contract, cancel anytime.