Verstappen won’t change approach despite ban threat

Max Verstappen says he won’t change his approach to racing heading into the Canadian Grand Prix despite the threat of a one-race ban.

Verstappen picked up three penalty points after the Spanish Grand Prix for causing a collision with George Russell, in a move that the Dutchman admitted a day later “was not right.” Verstappen is just one point away from earning an automatic one-race suspension and will carry that risk in both Canada and Austria, but says it won't affect the way he will go about driving.

“No, nothing changes,” Verstappen said. “I don't know, why should I? I mean, I cannot just back out of everything. I'm just going to race like I always do. I trust myself, so…

“What is fair? Is it fair that I'm on 11 points? I don't know. But at the same time, life is not fair, if you look at it like that. I don't worry about it. I just come here to race, and I will always race hard, race how I think I should race, and then we go on to the next race.”

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However, Verstappen clarified he’s hoping to avoid picking up a suspension, and is unconcerned if other drivers try to race him differently due to his position.

“I’m not here, of course, to try and get a ban. Maybe [it will stay a story] for you, not for me. I don't think about it," he said. “Even if they do [try to take advantage], it's not in my interest. I'll race how I want to race. It's not going to change anything.”

Verstappen again declined to explain exactly what he was trying to do in the incident with Russell in Spain, having originally appeared to slow to let the Mercedes by, but says he tries to learn from all of his experiences.

“It was a misjudgment, clearly in the corner. But you don't need to go into full detail of why, how and what. Everyone makes mistakes in life. Everyone learns from them and we just move on.

“Normally not [a weakness], but at the moment also, I don't really have a lot to lose. Of course, like I said, it was not the right thing to do at the time. We learned from that. Just move on from it.”