Max Verstappen is edging closer to the penalty points threshold that could result in a ban, following his clashes with Lando Norris at the Mexico City Grand Prix.
Red Bull's leading driver lined up next to pole-sitter and eventual race victor Carlos Sainz last weekend, just ahead of his championship adversary, McLaren's Norris. However, their ongoing duel escalated.
Just a week after the Brit was penalised for overtaking Verstappen off-track in Austin, it was the turn of the three-time champion.
Occupying second, the Dutchman tried to fend off Norris but forced him wide and almost collided with his peer twice, resulting in two separate 10-second time penalties.
Finishing the race in sixth due to these penalties, with his rival coming in second, Verstappen's lead in the championship was cut to 47 points. He could face harsher sanctions if he continues to accumulate penalty points on his super licence, however.
Over a year, a driver can only amass 12 points before facing a one-race ban. Verstappen currently has six, two of which were given to him after his actions in Mexico.
Haas' Kevin Magnussen was the first to breach this rule – introduced in 2014 – earlier this season. The only driver with more points than Verstappen is Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso, who has eight.
Two of the penalty points the Dutch ace earned for driving Charles Leclerc off the track at the 2023 Las Vegas Grand Prix are set to expire on November 19th, however, with only the Brazilian Grand Prix left before that date.
This twist of events suggests that the reigning world champion might sidestep a race ban this season, but continues to walk a tightrope for next year's campaign.
During a heated race in Mexico, chaos unfolded on Lap 10 that saw Verstappen slapped with the aforemetioned points. Ahead of the pack was Sainz, while Verstappen and Norris jostled mercilessly for the spot behind the Spaniard.
Approaching turn four, Norris attempted an audacious move around the outside, only to be aggressively shut down by Verstappen, leading to a nail-bitingly close call with contact narrowly avoided and the McLaren forced off track.
Then came turn eight, where Norris, now ahead, became the target of Verstappen's desperate dive down the inside. The aggressive manoeuvre by the Red Bull racer resulted in both drivers skating off the asphalt, perilously close to a significant shunt.
Hot on the heels of the incident, Norris shunned Verstappen over his team radio, exclaiming: "This guy is dangerous. I will be in the wall in a minute."
For his part, the stewards penalised Verstappen heavily, knocking him back in both the fight for victory and his pursuit of championship points against his rival.
Having previously bagged a couple more points for a tangle with Norris earlier in the season in Austria, Verstappen finds himself with four rounds remaining and an undeniable tension brewing with the British driver.
