One Point from Disaster: Verstappen Faces Race Ban as Horner Slams Rosberg’s ‘Black Flag’ Outburst”
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has brushed off Nico Rosberg’s controversial suggestion that Max Verstappen should have been black-flagged at the Spanish Grand Prix, calling the former World Champion “quite sensational” in his punditry.
The drama unfolded in the final laps of the race following a Safety Car triggered by Andrea Kimi Antonelli’s power unit failure. On the restart, Verstappen—struggling for grip on hard tyres—came under pressure from Charles Leclerc and George Russell. Leclerc surged ahead into third, while Verstappen took to the escape road to stay in front of Russell.
Race control instructed Red Bull to hand the position back to the Mercedes driver, and while Verstappen appeared to comply at Turn 5, a sudden defensive move caused contact between the two. The collision earned Verstappen a 10-second time penalty, dropping him from fifth to tenth place. Additionally, he was hit with three penalty points on his Super Licence.
Those penalty points bring Verstappen’s total to 11 within a 12-month period—just one shy of a race ban. This has sparked debate across the paddock and among pundits, with Rosberg stating the incident warranted disqualification. Horner, however, downplayed the comment, implying it was more about TV drama than real danger.
As the World Champion teeters on the edge of a suspension, tensions are sure to rise heading into the next Grand Prix. All eyes will be on Verstappen’s on-track behavior and how Red Bull manage the mounting pressure.
