Max Verstappen is just four points away from an automatic one race ban under F1’s penalty points system having been hit with two in Abu Dhabi for his collision with Oscar Piastri.

Lining up fourth on the Yas Marina grid, Verstappen went on the attack off the line and tried to pass Piastri up the inside at Turn 1.

Max Verstappen edges closer to a one-race ban

That ended with both drivers spinning. While Verstappen realised the gap was closing when he got there, he wasn’t able to get out of it and clipped Piastri.

Piastri sarcastically dubbed it a “move of a World Champion”, and the stewards handed the Red Bull driver a 10-second penalty that he served during his pit stop.

They later awarded him two penalty points on his Super Licence to bring his tally over a rolling 12-month period to eight. Any driver that records 12, as Kevin Magnussen did earlier this season, takes an automatic one-race ban.

“Car 1 caused a collision with Car 81 in Turn 1,” read the stewards’ note. “Decision 10 second time penalty. 2 penalty points (total of 8 for the 12 month period).

“Car 1 attempted to overtake Car 81 on the inside into Turn 1, but never got far enough alongside. Both cars collided shortly after the apex. The Stewards determine that the driver of Car 1 was wholly at fault and caused the collision.”

Verstappen, having called the stewards “stupid idiots” on the radio, laughed off the penalty points when he spoke with the media, including PlanetF1.com, after the race.

“Maybe I go to 12 when the baby is born,” he said with the Dutchman’s girlfriend Kelly Piquet expecting a baby next year. “Paternity leave.”

Piastri was also given two penalty points having rear-ended Franco Colapinto when he “braked too late and ran into the back of Car 43 on the approach to Turn 6.”

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Valtteri Bottas and the grid drop that may never be served

Meanwhile, Valtteri Bottas was also in the wars in Abu Dhabi as first hit Sergio Perez and then clattered into Kevin Magnussen as they contested their final F1 races.

Bottas, who already served a 10-second penalty for the Perez incident, retired the car after hitting Magnussen and the stewards therefore gave him a five-place grid drop for his next Grand Prix.

“Drop of 5 grid positions for the next race in which the driver participates,” read the stewards’ notes. “Car 77 was on the inside of Car 20 on the approach to Turn 6, misjudged his braking significantly and collided with Car 20 which was entering the corner on the regular racing line.

“As Car 77 retired from the race, the Steward determine that a grid drop is warranted which is the equivalent of a drive-through penalty and three penalty points are warranted due to the significant misjudgement of the driver.”

But given that may have been Bottas’ last Grand Prix, he joins Jenson Button on a short list of drivers with penalties that may never be served.

The Finn was also given three penalty points, bringing his tally to five.

“Unfortunately, today felt like a downward spiral after the incident on lap one, for which I also received a penalty,” said Bottas. “From there on, I was at the back, but we still kept trying and kept pushing.

“Later in the race, I had contact with Kevin [Magnussen] while defending: I locked up on old tyres and basically bumped into him. That was my mistake, and it’s a shame my last race with the team ended this way.”

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