Max Verstappen’s worst Formula 1 penalties including Lewis Hamilton ‘brake tested me’ accusation

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Max Verstappen is often called one of the greatest Formula 1 drivers in history, but his aggressive style has also seen the Dutchman receive some big penalties in his career.

Verstappen quickly developed a reputation following his F1 debut for Toro Rosso in 2015 for moving under braking. Jenson Button even called it “the most dangerous thing” that an F1 driver can do in 2016, after Verstappen’s incident with Kimi Raikkonen in Hungary that year.

While Verstappen overcame that reputation, his aggressive driving style has still often been a point of contention due to his elbows-out, never-yield method. Verstappen will especially flirt with the limits of the rules whenever he feels under genuine pressure for the big prizes.

It is very rare that Verstappen will push the boundaries when he is only fighting for a lower points-paying finish. But put the F1 drivers’ championship, a race win or even a podium on the line and Verstappen shows his colours – as Lewis Hamilton and Lando Norris have seen.

Hamilton often saw Verstappen push the boundaries throughout their title fight in the 2021 F1 season, while Norris started to see what his friend will try to win in 2024 and 2025. With that in mind, F1 Oversteer looks into the biggest F1 penalties that Verstappen has received.

Max Verstappen’s biggest F1 penalties, including for crashes with Lewis Hamilton and Lando Norris

The harshest penalties that an F1 driver can receive are a disqualification or a suspension, neither of which Verstappen has received during his career in the pinnacle of motorsport.

READ MORE: The five worst moments of Max Verstappen’s career in Formula 1

The FIA’s stewards can also issue a drive-through penalty or, worse, a stop-and-go for any serious offences that are committed during a race. Verstappen has drawn a drive-through penalty multiple times in his F1 career, but he has not yet received a stop-and-go penalty.

Verstappen first drew a drive-through penalty during his rookie campaign in 2015, after he was deemed to have been speeding behind the safety car during that term’s Hungarian GP. The Dutchman also drew a drive-through in the 2015 Abu Dhabi GP for ignoring blue flags.

Also during the 2015 F1 season, Verstappen received a five-place grid penalty due to an ill-judged, race-ending move on Romain Grosjean in Monaco. Two years later, he also saw 10 seconds added to his race time for hitting Red Bull teammate Daniel Ricciardo in Hungary.

More infamous, though, was Verstappen’s tangle with Hamilton during the 2021 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix as their title fight reached a boiling point. Tensions had already built between the pair following their incidents in Imola, Barcelona, Silverstone and Monza.

Red Bull instructed Verstappen to let Hamilton through after leaving the track during their battle in Saudi Arabia. He slowed dramatically on the straight, catching his title rival out and leading to contact. Hamilton complained over Mercedes’ radio that he “brake tested me”.

Verstappen, who had already lost five seconds to a separate incident, earned a further 10-second penalty following a post-race investigation. Red Bull were dominant for the next two seasons, but McLaren’s resurgence then prompted the Dutchman to dial up his aggression.

At the 2024 Austrian Grand Prix, Verstappen was found at fault for a late-race collision with Norris, who was attempting an overtake for the lead. Verstappen moved in the braking zone and tagged Norris, yet he still finished P5 despite a 10-second penalty, while Norris retired.

Verstappen also let his frustrations from fighting Norris get the better of him in the 2024 Mexico City Grand Prix. Martin Brundle called Verstappen’s lunge on Norris “ridiculous”, as he simply eased off the brakes to force the Briton wide at Turn 4 and then again at Turn 7.

The two incidents saw Verstappen receive two 10s penalties in the 2024 Mexico City GP. But Verstappen did not learn his lessons, and he merited widespread criticism in 2025 when he seemed to intentionally crash into George Russell in the Spanish Grand Prix in a fit of anger.

Verstappen did not regret crashing into Russell in the 2025 Spanish GP, either, despite him receiving a costly 10s penalty. The Dutchman initially let Russell back through for P4 under orders from Red Bull, but he disagreed with it having felt forced off when he took the spot.