Jos Verstappen wasn’t happy with what he saw from Max Verstappen in one F1 race this season

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Max Verstappen is still in a precarious position when it comes to Formula 1 penalty points. He has nine on his superlicence, putting him just three away from a race ban until late October.

Earlier this year, the world champion was right on the brink. He earned three points for a collision with George Russell at the Spanish Grand Prix, increasing his tally to 11.

Verstappen’s collision with Russell was extremely controversial. Some felt that he’d initiated the contact deliberately, although the stewards didn’t find enough evidence to support that theory.

The Red Bull driver carried the immediate risk of a ban to the races in Canada and Austria, but he survived. In addition to topping the 2025 table, Verstappen has more penalty points than any other driver in F1 history.

Jos Verstappen challenged Max Verstappen after George Russell incident in Spain

Verstappen was furious with his Red Bull team in the closing stages of the race in Barcelona. They rendered him vulnerable at the safety-car restart by putting him on hard tyres, which are notoriously difficult to warm up.

When Russell attacked him, Verstappen mounted a firm defence, with the Mercedes driver taking to the run-off. Red Bull instructed him to let the Briton through, which they later admitted was a mistake.

He slowed down on the run to turn five, but when Russell tried to pass, Verstappen hit him at the apex. Though he conceded the position later in the lap, he still earned a 10-second penalty that dropped him to the foot of the points.

Speaking to Viaplay, ex-F1 driver Jos Verstappen revealed that he disagreed with how Max handled the incident. He didn’t go into detail, but their exchange epitomises the open and honest nature of their relationship.

“I don’t get involved in [car set-up] at all, not at all,” he said. “It’s more that I say what I see, for example, about the race in Spain. I did say what I thought from a distance, and at that moment, he saw it differently.”

What Max Verstappen’s Formula 1 rivals really think of him

Verstappen expressed regret over his actions on social media a day later. And they didn’t dissuade Mercedes from making a concerted effort to sign him for 2026.

Jos Verstappen says many ‘English’ fans view his son as a ‘jerk’, which may be a legacy of his bitter rivalry with Lewis Hamilton.

But former Red Bull teammate Alex Albon says Verstappen is misunderstood, more so than any other driver on the grid. Many of his fellow competitors think very highly of him.

According to Laurent Mekies, Isack Hadjar is in awe of Verstappen ahead of a potential Red Bull partnership next year. Some say he doesn’t show his true self on camera, while others argue he never puts on any pretences.