**Max Verstappen Risks F1 Race Ban Following Collision with George Russell at Spanish GP**

Max Verstappen, the reigning Formula 1 world champion, is on the brink of receiving a race ban after an incident with George Russell during the Spanish Grand Prix led to a severe penalty. Following a collision in the final laps of the race, Verstappen was handed a 10-second time penalty and three penalty points, pushing his total to 11 points within a 12-month period. With only one point away from triggering a race ban, Verstappen’s actions have set the stage for a dramatic tension in the upcoming races.

Verstappen's collision with Russell occurred under unusual circumstances. While running third in Barcelona, the safety car was deployed to clear Andrea Kimi Antonelli's stranded car. During the neutralization period, Verstappen, along with front-runners Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris, pitted for fresh tires. Unhappily, Verstappen received hard-compound tires, the only new set available, sparking immediate concern over his grip and race strategy.

The restart on lap 61 saw Verstappen battle severe oversteer, resulting in an immediate overtake by Charles Leclerc. Subsequently, Russell tried to pass Verstappen on the inside at Turn 1, leading to both cars running out of room. Verstappen rejoined the track through the escape road, as instructed by race guidelines. Despite his team’s advice to yield to Russell, Verstappen resisted, asserting that he was unfairly pushed off the track.

In a controversial move, Verstappen appeared to slow down to let Russell pass on the approach to Turn 5, but then accelerated into Russell’s car from behind. The resulting damage and the time penalty demoted Verstappen from a fifth-place finish on the road to a final classification of 10th place.

The race stewards reviewed extensive data and footage, ultimately concluding that Verstappen's actions caused the collision, justifying the penalty imposed. This decision left Verstappen one point away from a potential race ban, requiring caution in his conduct over the next races. His current total of 11 penalty points includes infractions from previous incidents, such as collisions in last year’s Austrian and Mexican Grand Prix.

This situation casts a shadow over Verstappen’s immediate racing future, demanding careful navigation to avoid further penalties and a consequential race ban.