Verstappen Approaches Penalty Threshold Ahead of Canadian GP
Montreal, Canada — Red Bull Racing team principal Christian Horner addressed concerns regarding Max Verstappen’s nearing 12-point penalty threshold before the Canadian Grand Prix, a situation that could impose a one-race ban on the reigning champion. Verstappen currently holds 11 penalty points following his incident with George Russell at the Spanish Grand Prix.
Horner stated that in the event of a ban, Red Bull is well-prepared, having an extensive pool of drivers within the Red Bull Racing hierarchy. "We’ve got enough drivers to draw upon from the pool of Red Bull drivers," he commented during an interview with Sky Sports F1. However, the team is reluctant to disrupt junior driver Arvid Lindblad’s ongoing Formula 2 campaign, as he currently trails the championship leader, Alex Dunne, by eight points. Lindblad, who received special dispensation for an F1-grade superlicence despite being under the FIA’s minimum age requirement of 18, is seen as a key future talent for the Red Bull program.
If Verstappen were to be unavailable, the most likely substitutes include Liam Lawson and Isack Hadjar, with reserve driver Ayumu Iwasa on standby. Horner declined to specify the primary candidate, stating, "we would deal with it if it happened."
On another front, Horner provided insights on Yuki Tsunoda’s development, acknowledging the impact of Tsunoda’s qualifying crash at Imola on his confidence. "I think that knocked his confidence a little… but he did a TPC test in Barcelona… and I think that was really good for him,” he remarked, indicating that additional seat time could help restore Tsunoda’s performance as he approaches familiar groundwork in Montreal.
Looking ahead to the race weekend, Horner expressed optimism about Tsunoda’s prospects, citing the positive potential of the circuit for the driver. "It’s a track he likes, so hopefully he can have a good run," he concluded, emphasizing the importance of performance under pressure as teams navigate the complexities of the continuously evolving F1 landscape.
