6 times Max Verstappen bent the rules and forced another driver off track

Alex Gassman
Max Verstappen driving off track

The biggest talking point from the US Grand Prix at COTA was Lando Norris’s attempted overtaken on Max Verstappen around the outside of Turn 12. Despite Max forced Lando off the track, it was Lando who received the penalty.

Max has been pulling this exact move for years. Here’s 6 examples of Verstappen running wide off the track, forcing another driver off the track and gaining an advantage in the process. 

Verstappen's a repeat offender

Everyone knows Verstappen is the most aggressive driver on the Formula 1 grid. Infact, he’s the most aggressive driver the sport has seen for years.

Max has been at the centre of most controversial moments and stewarding decisions over the last few seasons. The most recent of these came at the 2024 US Grand Prix at Circuit of the Americas. Max was defending from a hard charging Lando Norris who tried to go around the outside of him at Turn 12.

Norris Verstappen COTA

Even though Lando was ahead when they started braking, Max braked super late so he carried more speed (too much speed) in to the corner. He was ahead at the apex but his extra speed forced Lando wide on corner exit, and Max himself ran off the track in the process.

Lando kept his foot in and passed Max but was given a 5 second penalty for leaving the track and gaining an advantage. Max took the place back and got away with driving Lando off the track in defence.

Max knows the rules

The FIA have recently implemented some ‘Driving Standards Guidelines’ that try and provide some guidance for who’s right and who’s wrong in the event of an incident when F1 drivers are going wheel-to-wheel.

If there is an incident, these guidelines rely largely on establishing which driver is ahead at the apex of the corner when trying to proportion blame. 

Max is fully aware of this and will do whatever he can to make sure he’s ahead at the apex. From there on in, the guidelines state that it’s the other driver’s responsibility to yield.

Verstappen has been doing this for years and often gets away with it. Something needs to change in the FIA’s rules to prevent it.

Until they do, here’s a look at 6 examples of his off-track divebombing behaviour.

Brazil 2021

As the titanic battle between Max and Lewis headed towards its climax in 2021, the two champion protagonists came to blows at the Interlagos circuit in Brazil.

On lap 48 Max was leading the race but Lewis had caught him up. Hamilton had the DRS on the run to turn 4, where Max defended the inside. Lewis’ overspeed with the DRS meant he went to the outside and was ahead of Max at the braking point, but Max wasn’t giving up.

Verstappen braked late. Ridiculously late. Way later than Lewis and way later than he needed to to make the corner. His late braking meant that he was alongside Lewis at the apex but the extra speed he was carrying forced both drivers off the track. A long way off.

Max kept the position thanks to his kamikaze divebomb and defending and the FIA deemed no investigation was necessary. Hmm.

Video here.

Brazil 2021 Max Verstappen Lewis Hamilton

Saudi Arabia 2021

The penultimate race of the 2021 season was at the Jeddah Corniche circuit, where things reached boiling point. 

The setup was very similar to Brazil. Max was leading at the start of lap 37 but Lewis was closing. Hamilton had another run of DRS down the main straight, Verstappen again defended the inside line so Lewis went back to the outside. He was ahead as they braked but Max did the exact same thing. He braked so late that he was alongside at the apex but couldn’t make the corner and ran off track at the exit.

Lewis had to do the same in avoidance of Max’s divebomb, and Verstappen exited the corner ahead.

Shortly afterwards his team told him to give the position back to Lewis, which resulted in contact between the two. Oh the drama.

Video here.

Jeddah 2021 Max Verstappen Lewis Hamilton

Las Vegas 2023

At the inaugural Las Vegas GP in 2023, Charles Leclerc started on pole with Max in 2nd alongside him. The Ferrari driver got a better start but Max, once again, didn’t want to give up.

He was on the left side of the track, the dirty side, and once again braked incredibly late. In doing so he got alongside Leclerc but the extra speed carried him way off track and forced Charles to do the same in avoidance.

Max exited the corner in the lead, but the FIA investigated it. This time the stewards gave Max a 5-second time penalty for forcing another driver off the track, likely because Max wasn’t ahead at the apex.

Video here.

Las Vegas 2023 Max Verstappen Charles Leclerc

Hungary 2024

At the 2024 Hungarian Grand Prix, Verstappen started in 3rd place behind the two McLarens.

He got a good start and used the slipstream to pull up alongside the two Papaya cars as they braked for Turn 1. Max was on the outside and there was no way for him to get past, unless he decided to take a wider line off the track to carry more speed.

That’s exactly what he did. He went well wide of the circuit and rejoined ahead of Norris in 2nd place. 

The FIA said they were investigating the incident so Max’s team suggested to him that he let Norris retake the position, which is what he begrudgingly did. 

Video here.

Hungary 2024 Max Verstappen start

Austin 2024 - Turn 1

There were two incidents at the US Grand Prix at Austin in 2024. The first took place at Turn 1 Lap 1. Max was starting second with Lando alongside him on pole.

Lando got a better start than Max and was ahead of the Red Bull as they hit the brakes. But Norris, despite coming way across to the left of the track to defend, left a Red Bull sized gap up the inside.

Max saw that and went for it. He lunged up the McLaren’s inside by once again being the last of the late brakers. Verstappen couldn’t make the corner, and because Lando was on his outside they both ended up going way off the track. This slowed them both down.

Max emerged ahead of Lando but now Max was in 2nd and Lando was in 4th. Despite Lando and McLaren’s protestations, the FIA didn’t investigate this as it fell under their ‘let them race’ rule for Turn 1 Lap 1.

Video here.

Austin 2024 Max Verstappen Lando Norris

Austin 2024 - Turn 12

On lap 51, Max and Lando went at it again. Verstappen was in 3rd and Norris had been catching him fast.

Lando got a good run at Max down the long back straight in the DRS. As we’ve seen before, Max heavily defended the inside in to Turn 12. Lando’s extra speed in the DRS meant that by the time they hit the brakes the McLaren was clearly ahead of the Red Bull.

But once again, Max wasn’t finished. Same old story; he braked late, too late, made it to the apex first but ran wide on the corner exit and forced Lando a long way off the track.

Lando had obvsiously had enough and decided to keep his foot on the gas this time, passing Max off the track. 

Despite being ahead in the braking zone and being forced off the track, the FIA decided to give Lando a 5-second penalty for leaving the track and gaining an advantage. Max got away scot free.

Video here.

Lando Verstappen Austin F1 2024

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Alex Gassman

I‘m Alex. I write F1 and motorsport travel guides based on my experience as racing driver and full-time motorsport nerd. I’ve traveled the world watching F1 and other racing series.

I started oversteer48 with the aim of helping other motorsport fans who are planning on watching some racing themselves.

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