Max Verstappen received three penalty points on his super licence for hitting George Russell’s car during the Spanish GP. This put the Red Bull driver’s total up to eleven points, meaning if he received just one more penalty point, he would have to serve a race ban.
Verstappen will lose two penalty points after the Austrian GP, meaning he has to keep his nose clean in the Styrian mountains, as well as the upcoming Canadian GP. However, Red Bull has confirmed a plan in the case of the Dutchman having to miss a race.
Red Bull confirms contingency plan for potential Verstappen ban
F1 drivers will be banned for one race if they receive twelve penalty points on their super licence over a year. With Verstappen on eleven points, Red Bull needs to plan in case this occurs. If the four-time world champion receives a race ban, Red Bull revealed exclusively to RacingNews365 that they will promote one of their Racing Bulls drivers.
However, the choice of who to partner with Yuki Tsunoda won’t be straightforward. Liam Lawson has already driven the RB21 this season in the opening two races. However, the Kiwi had a difficult time as he couldn’t get to grips with the car. The youngster has only scored points in one race this season and is being dominated by Isack Hadjar.
Hadjar has performed well so far in his debut season. After a slow start, he has scored points in five races so far this season and is the second-highest Red Bull driver in the standings. However, he is yet to drive the RB21 this season and might struggle to acclimatise to it.
If one of the Racing Bulls drivers is promoted, the team will bring in Ayumu Iwasa as the replacement, RacingNews365 revealed. The Japanese driver has been the reserve driver for Racing Bulls for two years and has an impressive record in F2. The 23-year-old has 5 wins and 12 podiums to his name during his two-year stint in the series. Iwase has driven the Racing Bulls car twice last season, so he would be the preferred candidate.
What does this mean for Arvid Lindblad?
Red Bull has applied for an exception to the FIA to allow Arvid Lindblad to drive an F1 car. The Brit has enough points on his super licence, but is still a 17-year-old. A driver needs to be 18 before they can partake in F1.
With Iwasa the preferred candidate to stand in for Racing Bulls, it is likely that if the FIA grant the exemption, Lindblad will be the reserve driver. This would run alongside his F2 duties, where he is right in the thick of the title race.
Red Bull Request Exception for Rookie as Verstappen Faces Suspension Threat
However, Iwasa is currently competing in the Super Formula Championship. This is significant as although Verstappen will lose two penalty points in late June, he will still carry the rest over until October. If a race ban clashed with a Super Formula weekend, Red Bull might promote Lindblad ahead of Iwasa.
The easiest outcome is if Verstappen is not able to accumulate more points. He might need to change his driving style to be less aggressive for a while. But will he? Leave your comments below.
