Keep the title race alive

With just one race to go before Red Bull’s home Grand Prix at the Red Bull Ring, Max Verstappen is under strict team orders as the threat of a one-race ban looms. A suspension at such a pivotal point in the season would be a major blow, and, as RacingNews365 puts it, a potential embarrassment. The big question now: can Verstappen keep his cool and stay in the fight until Austria, where his title hopes may hang in the balance?

Balancing issues with RB21

Things have not been easy for the Dutch driver, despite having a good start to the season. The Red Bull paddock has struggled to tweak the car into working order, especially tackling the balance issues on the RB21. When comparing its performance to his direct rivals, McLaren is light-years ahead.

Race ban

Verstappen is on the cusp of a F1 ban following the Spanish GP drama, where he earned three penalty points after crashing into George Russell. The Red Bull driver sits with 11 penalty points on his FIA Super Licence, just one away from a ban, reports Motorsport.

How many drivers have received a ban?

Verstappen would join the list of eight other drivers who received an F1 race ban (from 1978-present). Funny enough, some of the best drivers in the F1 history have experienced a race ban. Michael Schumacher in 1994 was given a two race ban after he overtook Damon Hill on the formation lap of the British GP. The FIA established a point system back in 2014 in order to keep track of penalties going forward.

Driver swap

The Milton Keynes team have drawn up a contingency plan in case Verstappen is handed a penalty in Canada. According to RacingNews365, Red Bull will temporarily promote either Isack Hadjar or Liam Lawson in the event Max Verstappen were to be handed a one race ban.

Yuki Tsunoda under pressure too

While a one race ban would result in a major blow towards retaining the Drivers' Championship title for Verstappen, this could also serve as an opportunity to test new drivers inside the RB21. Yuki Tsunoda has struggled to push the car inside the top 10 in the standings, sparking discussions regarding his continuity for the team.

Top candidate

The most promising move for Red Bull right now is Isack Hadjar, who currently drives for Racing Bull's Honda. The rookie driver has been an absolute sensation so far this season, sitting 9th in the standings.

Plan C: Arvid Lindblad

Nevertheless, Red Bull has also confirmed a plan C if all else fails. Their reserve driver, Arvid Lindblad, was granted a last-minute FIA super licence despite being only 17 years old. The Austrian team has invoked a clause in the FIA's International Sporting Code to request an exemption. The request was granted, and Lindblad will join the already existing reserve driver Ayumu Iwasa at the pit wall.