Is Max Verstappen back to his old ways?
The Dutchman made a nasty gesture at the end of the Spanish Grand Prix. He has been sanctioned for this and risks suspension. His behavior is reminiscent of his first seasons in F1.

These are actions we don’t like to see. In any sport. Moreover, they give a bad image to the sport and to the person responsible. In Spain, Max Verstappen completely lost it. Frustration took over all other feelings.
Then in the battle with Lando Norris for the second position, the intervention of the safety car came to halt this fight. All the leading drivers pitted to put on new tires. The McLarens went back out with softs, the Red Bull driver with hards. This choice, made by his team, irritated him.
His words on the radio were very harsh. Even though the four-time world champion’s tires were fresher than those of his competitors, the performance difference was still significant. With his winning character, he tried everything to stay close to his rivals.
Deliberate contact with George Russell
But at the restart, he almost plastered his Red Bull into the wall. His poor restart benefited Charles Leclerc and, for a moment, could have smiled upon George Russell. Except that the #63 Mercedes slightly touched Max Verstappen’s car. The latter then used the escape route to get back on track.
Already annoyed at losing a position, the third-place driver in the world championship drove very aggressively. And when Red Bull asked him to give a position back to George Russell—which was a mistake—he lost his temper. He came and collided with the Mercedes at turn 5. The maneuver was deemed deliberate by the stewards, who gave him a ten-second penalty.
Close to a suspension
This very bad gesture reminds us of a negative aspect of the driver: his irritability and his ability to not be clean on the track. Very often borderline, he had nearly caused serious accidents in the past. Kimi Räikkönen at Spa, on the Kemmel straight, still remembers it.
His aggressiveness, which regularly produces beautiful images like his splendid start in Imola, is marred by actions that are not worthy of a man of his stature. His behavior and lack of self-reflection reinforce a bad reputation. After the Spanish Grand Prix, he initially decided not to explain himself to the media, only to backtrack later. His explanations were unconvincing; he even refused to elaborate too much, citing potential sanctions from the authorities for his remarks.
He finally spoke out coldly on his social media. « We had an exciting strategy and a good race in Barcelona until the safety car came out. Our tire choice until the end and some moves after the safety car restart fueled my frustration, leading to a move that was not correct and should not have happened. I always give everything I have for the team, and emotions can run high. »
In any case, with his numerous on-track maneuvers that are on the edge, the Dutchman is very close to facing a Grand Prix suspension. If he commits another bad move before the end of June, Red Bull will have to find a replacement to drive the #1 car.