Just days before the Canadian Grand Prix, reigning world champion Max Verstappen and Red Bull Racing find themselves at the center of escalating controversy as fresh accusations suggest Verstappen should have received a black flag — the ultimate sanction in Formula 1 — for his incident with George Russell at the Spanish GP. Now, speculation is mounting over whether the FIA could impose further penalties at the upcoming race in Montreal.

During the final laps in Barcelona, Verstappen collided with Russell in a highly scrutinized incident. Although Verstappen received a 10-second time penalty and three penalty points, calls for disqualification came swiftly from fans and pundits, with many arguing the severity of his action warranted a black flag — a signal for immediate disqualification.

FIA has now officially commented on the growing debate. In a brief but firm statement, a spokesperson said:

“We reviewed all relevant telemetry and on-board data. While the incident was serious, the stewards determined that the penalty imposed reflected both the infraction and the circumstances under which it occurred. However, further monitoring will be in place for upcoming races.”

That “further monitoring” has raised eyebrows, with suggestions that Verstappen may be under probationary scrutiny for the next two rounds, especially as he sits just one penalty point away from a race ban.

Sky Sports pundit Karun Chandhok defended the stewards’ initial call, stating on the F1 podcast:

“I think there is a case to discuss and debate the black flag… but given the speed, the nature of the move, and that it wasn’t race-ending, I believe the penalty handed down was appropriate. Still, the three penalty points are far more critical than losing a single race point.”

Meanwhile, Verstappen himself has pushed back against the criticism, denying the action was intentional and firing back at disqualification rumors.

“I’ve apologized to the team, and I’ve made my position clear. I’m here to race, not to play games. Anyone suggesting I want to sabotage my own results clearly doesn’t understand how much this championship means to me,” Verstappen told reporters during media day in Montreal.

With pressure mounting and the possibility of an automatic ban looming should he incur one more penalty point before the end of June, all eyes will be on Verstappen as F1 heads to Circuit Gilles Villeneuve — a track that may now carry more tension than ever before.