Verstappen, Alonso may face F1 bans before Chinese GP

Max Verstappen and Fernando Alonso are in a tough situation as they head into the Chinese Grand Prix this weekend. Both drivers have accumulated eight penalty points on their racing licenses, just four points away from a potential race ban. Verstappen's points include a crash with Oscar Piastri at the last race in Abu Dhabi in 2024. He won't have any points removed until July, which makes his situation critical. The FIA has been strict about contact between drivers, meaning that just two more penalties could force Verstappen to miss a race. Missing a race would hurt his chances of retaining the championship title. Despite these stakes, Verstappen has no intention of changing his aggressive driving style. He stated he has faced similar situations before and plans to "manage the situation." Alonso also faces challenges with the penalty point system. However, he will drop three points from his license after the Chinese GP, easing his pressure. The two-time champion received penalty points following a crash with Zhou Guanyu in Austria last year. Alonso criticized the penalty system, arguing that it confuses racing mistakes with dangerous driving. In 2024, a driver named Kevin Magnussen exceeded the 12-point limit and was suspended for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix after earning multiple penalties. He was replaced by Oliver Bearman for that race.