MONTREAL — Max Verstappen vowed to “race like I all the time do” regardless of discovering himself on the verge of a one-race ban.
Even a minor transgression at this weekend’s Canadian Grand Prix or the Austrian Grand Prix may sideline the reigning world champion for the following occasion.
The Dutchman’s controversial slam into the aspect of George Russell’s Mercedes two weeks in the past in Spain moved him to 11 penalty factors, one away from the utmost allowed in a 12-month interval.
Verstappen, famed for his all-or-nothing method to shut quarters racing, promised to stay to that mindset throughout the following two weeks.
“No, nothing adjustments. No [change in approach],” he stated. “I can’t simply again out of every little thing. I am simply going to race like I all the time do, I belief myself. Is it truthful that I am on 11 factors? I do not know. However on the identical time, life is not truthful. I do not fear about it, I simply come right here to race and I’ll all the time race laborious.”
“I am not right here, in fact, to try to get a ban.”
Penalty factors could be dished out by the stewards for a spread of issues from inflicting a collision to not slowing accurately for a digital security automobile.
Requested if he thinks its truthful he has discovered himself on a cusp of a ban, he stated: “I do not want to enter that to be sincere. I imply, what’s truthful?
“If you happen to take a look at it like that. I do not fear about it. 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 had initially been unapologetic within the media interviews after the Spanish Grand Prix, though he later shared a put up to social media saying the incident with Russell “was not proper” and “should not have occurred.”
The Dutch driver stopped wanting a public apology to Russell, however admitted the second had been an error of judgement on his half.
“[The post was] sharing my view of issues, how I assumed that race panned out. Not ultimate for me, however that was my assertion. After which I went again to having fun with my day.
“It was a misjudgment, you already know, 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 is third within the championship, 39 factors behind McLaren’s Lando Norris.