Max Verstappen received a penalty in a sim racing event (Image: Getty)
found himself in hot water during the final GTP IMSA Global Esports Championship event of the season, picking up a drive-through penalty after crashing with a rival in a virtual race at the iconic Daytona circuit.
Verstappen’s love for sim racing is well-publicised, and the Dutchman has been behind the virtual wheel on several occasions since the 2024 F1 season ended at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in December.
The 27-year-old was even called up to compete in the final round of the GTP IMSA Global Esports Championship as a wildcard, but the event didn’t go to plan. Echoing his lap-one crash with Oscar Piastri in Abu Dhabi, Verstappen lunged into a move from third on the grid at Turn One.
Verstappen’s car collided with a Williams BMW machine – one of the title contenders heading into the final round – with desperate consequences for both drivers. The man picked up damage and slid down the order before being hit with a drive-through penalty.
Explaining the crash from his perspective, Verstappen said: “I just locked up a bit the rears, and in this car, it’s very hard to control that, so I just went wide. Of course, there was also the other car that I couldn’t avoid, so that was a bit unlucky there.
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Max Verstappen is at risk of a race ban in 2025 (Image: Getty)
“My mistake. After that, I think both cars had damage, so it was quite a difficult first stint. Then we boxed [and] cleaned the car. I would say, [it was] almost fully repaired, so the pace was almost back.
“I tried to overtake a backmarker – I think a GTD car – and he didn’t keep his line. I think he just wanted to keep out of the way, to be honest, a bit of miscommunication and I had damage again within three laps of the stint.”
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While Verstappen found himself in trouble in the virtual racing world, the four-time world champion also risks picking up a significant penalty in F1 in 2025. The 27-year-old is on eight penalty points heading into the season, none of which will clear from his super license until late June.
Despite facing a race ban if he accumulates four more points, Verstappen will not change his approach. “We could discuss some of the penalties and points here for hours,” he told Swiss newspaper Blick. “Like [Fernando] Alonso, I already have eight penalty points. But I’m not going to change my driving style because of that.”