With only 4 points on his license and close to a suspension, does Verstappen plan to adapt his driving in 2025?

Involved in a few incidents on track last season, Max Verstappen is not far from a possible suspension. Faced with this situation, would the Dutchman be inclined to change his driving style this year?

Published 16/01/2025 à 10:16

Gonzalo Forbes

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With only 4 points on his license and close to a suspension, does Verstappen plan to adapt his driving in 2025?

© Ton Roelofs / DPPI

On the wire. This is how it will begin Max Verstappen this 2025 season. If he does not yet know the level of his RB21, the Dutchman already knows that he will have to be very careful. Obviously with the competition given the end-of-year trends, but especially with his points license since the four-time world champion has never appeared so close to a suspension.

Indeed, the second part of the 2024 campaign was very eventful for the pilot Red Bull who left feathers on the track. His numerous battles on the track, notably against Lando Norris during the American tour, cost him dearly. Not to mention that he ended the year with a new clash, against Oscar piastri, for which he was also found responsible.

These misadventures have thus caused great damage to Max Verstappen's points licence, who left Abu Dhabi, the scene of the final of the last season, with 8 points over the last 12 months, considerably approaching the limit set at 12 and therefore a possible Grand Prix suspension.

Internal concern for Verstappen?

It is therefore with a sword of Damocles hanging over his head that the title holder will make his entrance on the scene in 2025, especially since he will not be able to recover points before June 30. This represents no less than 11 Grands Prix during which he will have to be very careful not to make his situation worse.

« We need to start paying attention, Helmut Marko recently assured Sky Germany. With some stewards, the penalties are often more severe. But this is a problem that everyone knows and has already been raised several times. Greater consistency would be preferable and also beneficial for the sport. »

What about Max Verstappen? Is he ready to change his driving style, and therefore be less harsh on the track, to stay away from the trouble until he gets his first points? A priori, this is not on the agenda for the world champion.

« I won't change my riding style because of this., he assures the Swiss media Blick. I know when I went too far. Like in the last race in Abu Dhabi, when I attacked Piastri at the start. I had no problem apologising to [from him] after the race. » Unsurprisingly, Verstappen will remain Verstappen in 2025.

ALSO READ > Verstappen, Alonso, Hülkenberg… Where are the drivers with their points-based licenses?

Gonzalo Forbes

In charge of promotion formulas (F2, F3, FRECA, F4...). Carried by the grace of Franco Colapinto.

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3 Comment (s)

E

eric stevens

16/01/2025 at 12:52 a.m.

I think he doesn't care and he's right! At worst a suspension grand prix, so what? Then he gets all those points back and over a season there's always at least one blank result. If the car is efficient it won't change anything, if it's not, neither! When you're 4 times world champion, you see things differently than in a press room!

2

Yves-Henri RANDIER

16/01/2025 at 11:36 a.m.

Nothing surprising in the words of the four-time Batavian world champion, faithful to himself and always straight in his boots. The start of the season will be interesting to follow in terms of the immediate performances of the 2025 single-seaters, of which we will quickly identify those that are successful and those that are less so!

1

V

vincent moyet

16/01/2025 at 11:32 a.m.

Apologizing is good, but it doesn't make up for lost points and it won't prevent a suspension, so it's an answer that misses the point. Let's first see what the performance hierarchy will be from the 1st GP. This will condition certain things, and in particular who will be able to take the lead in the standings and then allow themselves "rough" maneuvers... or not.

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