A potential podium finish at the Spanish Grand Prix slipped out of Max Verstappen’s grasp as first a safety car and then a 10-second time penalty saw a strong finish end with more penalty points than championship points.

With 11 of 12 penalty points now affixed to his license until the end of the month, Verstappen will need to avoid any critical errors of judgement, argues Johnny Herbert.

Johnny Herbert presses Max Verstappen’s need to avoid an “error of judgement”

The term “red mist” seems to have been invented for moments like Max Verstappen’s contentious restart at the 2025 Spanish Grand Prix.

The Red Bull driver had benefitted from his team’s audacious decision to run a three-stop race compared to the two stops made by the competition, and while Verstappen wasn’t going to be able to chase down the McLarens for a win, he was certainly in line for a strong podium position.

Then, Kimi Antonelli’s Mercedes suffered a power unit failure and needed to be recovered from a gravel trap. Enter: a safety car, and the opportunity for the entire field to pit for fresh rubber.

Verstappen was one such driver — but his three-stop strategy had left him with few options. Red Bull fitted him with a hard tyre, and Verstappen struggled to get them warmed up before the race resumed.

Then, several things happened in a short burst of time. Verstappen ran a bit wide after getting loose, dropping a wheel into the gravel but catching himself. It was enough to allow Charles Leclerc a gap to push through, and the Ferrari driver made contact as he did so.

George Russell followed through in the last remaining Mercedes, and he also collided with Verstappen, who ran wide to maintain his position and avoid greater contact. Red Bull radioed the Dutch champion to advise him to give the position back, but by that time, Verstappen was already on edge.

He slowed, seemingly to let Russell by, only to hold his line into the corner. The two drivers collided again, and the stewards soon determined the move was worth a 10-second penalty. After the race, they issued an additional three penalty points to his license — bringing his total up to 11, just one critical mistake shy of earning a one-race ban.

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But heading into the Canadian Grand Prix, Johnny Herbert things Max Verstappen is going to need to think long and hard about the way he’s racing lest he risk snatching that 12th penalty point.

Speaking to RoobetAlternatives, Herbert said, “You’ve got to think about the penalty point situation, one point can be from very simple error of judgement.

“Does the driver need to think differently now? Yes.”

Max Verstappen, however, is no mere driver; he’s a four-time World Champion who has also proven adept at coming out ahead in a wheel-to-wheel battle.

Herbert continued, “Max Verstappen is the smartest driver on the track.

“The ability he has to make the rules bend to his advantage is unlike any other, he has so much mental capacity he can push to the limit but now he must be a smart racer.”

Verstappen still sits third in the World Drivers’ Championship standings, and there’s more than half a season remaining in which he can cut down the 49-point gap between himself and leader Oscar Piastri.

Because of that, Herbert argues, “Verstappen will still go for the championship, he’s still winning races and getting pole positions so he’s in a position that if the McLaren drivers have a bad weekend, he’s right in the mix for the race win and the championship.

“That one penalty point from being banned will be on his mind; it will not change the way he’s driving.

“For years, Verstappen has been the chased but now he’s the chaser, he’ll have to be slightly more measured. Those little moments of aggression will have to be controlled.”

If the Red Bull driver is able to hold out until the end of the month, two of his penalty points will expire on June 30, at the conclusion of the Austrian Grand Prix weekend.

However, he’ll still have nine points on his record, with the Mexican Grand Prix representing the next opportunity to shed two more points.

So while Verstappen can breathe a sign of relief if he’s able to scrape through the next few weeks without incident, he’ll still need to be on his toes lest he face a race ban later in the 2025 season.

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