As the F1 2025 season revs up, Max Verstappen is in the hot seat, vying for his fifth consecutive World Championship title. Despite accumulating a hefty penalty points tally, Verstappen is determined to stay the course and manage the precarious situation with unwavering focus.
Verstappen and Fernando Alonso share the dubious honor of having the highest number of points on their FIA Super Licence, each holding eight. This puts them dangerously close to the 12-point threshold, exceeding which would result in a one-race ban. The situation is particularly tricky for Verstappen, who has 11 Grand Prix weekends to navigate before any penalty points start to fade from his licence, a timeline that begins after the Austrian Grand Prix.
While Alonso is due to see three points drop off his licence on March 24th, after the first double-header of the season, his position is somewhat safer than Verstappen’s. Six of Alonso’s eight points are set to expire after the first five rounds of the season. On the other hand, Verstappen faces almost half of the 2025 campaign with a slim buffer of three penalty points to avoid a race ban. This high-stakes scenario isn’t new to the F1 arena — Kevin Magnussen became the first driver to cross the 12-point threshold in September last year.
However, Verstappen remains unfazed. When queried about whether his penalty points tally would affect his racing approach in 2025, he responded with a resounding no. He has found himself in a similar position before, having managed nine or 10 penalty points previously. Verstappen emphasizes that navigating this situation is all about managing it with strategic precision.
As the new season commences, the racing community is abuzz with speculation. Verstappen is either a joint-favorite or the second favorite, trailing behind Lando Norris, to clinch the title of five-time World Champion. Verstappen, however, brushes aside such conjectures. He asserts that his primary focus is on his performance and the car, rather than on the odds stacked in the betting markets.
While he doesn’t indulge in betting, Verstappen acknowledges the thrill it brings to the sport. He asserts that multiple teams vying for victory is beneficial for the sport, reiterating that the rules were established to create such a competitive environment. He is hopeful that the 2025 season will witness a flurry of different winners, both among drivers and teams, making it an exciting spectacle for all F1 enthusiasts. His focus, however, remains steadfast on managing his penalty points and steering his way to another championship title.