Max Verstappen Unfazed by Potential Race Ban; Will Make No Changes Ahead Of Canadian GP

Max Verstappen sees no need to alter his racing style despite the risk of a race ban looming over him at the Canadian Grand Prix, stating that it won’t be ‘the end of the world’ even in case he earns a ban.

Red Bull’s four-time world champion is just one penalty point away from an automatic ban following a controversial collision with Mercedes rival George Russell at the previous Spanish Grand Prix.

Speaking to reporters at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, Verstappen stated that the situation did not affect him.

“Why should I?" he responded when asked about changing his approach to racing. “I cannot just back out of everything. I’m going to race as I always do. I trust myself," added the Dutch driver, who acknowledged his mistake in Spain and admitted it should not have happened.

Verstappen explained his apology, saying he simply wanted to express his perspective on the race before moving on with his day. He mentioned that apologising was not difficult and he accepted his misjudgement without delving into details.

“Everyone makes mistakes in life. Everyone learns from them and we just move on," he said.

When questioned if he deserved to be on the verge of exclusion, a situation he recognised as “not ideal," Verstappen shrugged.

“I know, in general, missing a race is not ideal. But, it’s not the end of the world. What is fair? Is it fair that I’m on 11 penalty points? I don’t know. But at the same time, life is not fair. If you look at it like that, I don’t worry about it," he said.

“I just come here to race, and I will always race hard, race how I think I should race and then we go on to the next race."

Verstappen, who has two wins so far this season, is third in the championship, 49 points behind McLaren’s Oscar Piastri, after nine of 24 races.

The Dutchman won in Canada in 2024 after starting second on the grid, but recognised the situation was different a year on, with McLaren winning seven times already in 2025.

“If we can fight for a podium, competing with Ferrari and Mercedes, that would already be a good achievement," added Verstappen.

(with agency inputs)