"It's the world that we live in": Max Verstappen's exasperated reaction to being questioned about the looming potential race ban due to penalty points
Red Bull driver Max Verstappen was visibly annoyed by the constant questioning surrounding a potential race ban due to his penalty points on his FIA Superlicense in the 2025 Canadian Grand Prix. The Dutch driver was pipped in the final few seconds of the qualifying session by Mercedes driver George Russell for the pole position in Montreal for a second year running.
The four-time F1 world champion thought that he had initially done enough to outqualify the McLaren driver Oscar Piastri, but Russell's excellent final lap denied the former his fourth pole position of the year.
With George Russell and Max Verstappen, there had been questions regarding the Dutchman's ability to race against the Briton in Montreal, as the duo had a controversial incident during the Spanish Grand Prix.
The incident, where Verstappen rammed into the side of Russell, earned the former a 10-second penalty, which dropped him to P10. Additionally, he was also given three points on FIA Superlicense, taking his tally to 11, one away from a race ban.
In the post-qualifying press conference, Max Verstappen was asked about the same, to which he replied exasperatedly:
"I don’t need to hear it again. It’s really pissing me off. I mean, you were speaking about it on Thursday. It’s such a waste of time. It’s very childish. So, that’s why I also don’t want to say too much because it’s really annoying, this world that we live in."
Max Verstappen has had several tense moments with George Russell over the years since the latter moved to Mercedes in 2022.
George Russell comments on Max Verstappen's penalty points situation
Mercedes driver George Russell stated that he was not racing to get Max Verstappen more penalty points, which could lead to a potential race ban for the latter. The 27-year-old told the media about the duo racing against each other and said:
"I don’t think any driver goes out looking to crash into somebody and get penalty points on your licence. Max is one of the best drivers. There’s no reason for him to race any differently, and I’m not sitting here thinking he’s going to give us more room. If anything, probably the opposite to try and prove a point.
"So I’ll be keeping an eye, but ultimately, we’re all here to win. You’re not going to do something that’s going to jeopardise yourself from the race. If you get a race ban, you get a race ban and spend some time at home. It’s not ideal, but it’s not the end of the world."
Russell will be wary of Verstappen at the start of the main race, given that the latter overtook him off the line in Qatar 2024 when they last shared the front row.