After a contentious Mexican Grand Prix that saw him hit with two 10-second penalties, Max Verstappen has finally spoken out about the events and the race stewards’ decisions, which bring him closer than ever to a potential one-race suspension. Verstappen was sanctioned for two incidents with McLaren’s Lando Norris on Lap 10 — one for forcing Norris off track at Turn 4 and another for running wide intentionally to keep his lead. These penalties not only dropped him out of the points at one point, but also added two penalty points to his record, putting him halfway to a race ban.

In his statement, Verstappen did not hold back, expressing frustration with the way things unfolded. “They’re trying to hold me back, plain and simple. Racing is about pushing limits and fighting for every inch on that track,” Verstappen asserted. “I didn’t do anything reckless or unsafe. I’m here to win, and that means going all out in every race.”

The two penalties, which added up to 20 seconds, forced Verstappen to fall back but eventually fight his way back to a sixth-place finish. His lead in the Drivers’ standings, however, has shrunk to 47 points, a fact that Verstappen acknowledges with disappointment.

“I have a responsibility to my team, my fans, and to myself,” he continued. “This isn’t just about one race — it’s about competing at the highest level and not backing down.”

The stewards stated that Norris had positioned himself ahead at Turn 4 and could have completed his maneuver on track had Verstappen not forced him off. In their decision, they cited the incident as a breach of Appendix L, Chapter IV, Article 2 b) of the International Sporting Code.

Despite the setback, Verstappen remains steadfast, vowing not to alter his aggressive approach. “I race to win, and that’s not going to change,” he affirmed.