RaceFans Round-up: Verstappen must “start being careful”

In the round-up: Red Bull motorsport consultant Helmut Marko says Max Verstappen must be careful to avoid triggering an automatic race ban.

In brief

Stewarding consistency worries Marko

Verstappen moved onto eight penalty points at the final round in Abu Dhabi. “He’s picked up two points again,” Marko observed following the world champion’s first-corner clash with Oscar Piastri.

Any driver who reaches 12 penalty points incurs an automatic ban, as Kevin Magnussen did earlier this year. “He’s now on eight so we need to start being careful,” Marko told Sky Germany.

He fears Verstappen could move unexpectedly closer to a penalty due to inconsistency in F1’s stewarding. “With certain stewards, this penalty is often harsher,” he said.

“But that’s a problem everyone has, and it’s been raised several times before — that more consistency here would be better and would improve the sport as well.”

Marko said Verstappen’s apparent reference on his radio to the stewards as “stupid idiots” was “not very diplomatic.”

F2 grid grows ahead of test

Four more drivers have confirmed their places on the Formula 2 grid for next year.

Ferrari junior Dino Beganovic, who was promoted to a podium finish in his third race by Paul Aron’s disqualification last weekend, will partner Williams junior Luke Browning at Hitech. Sebastien Montoya also moves up from Formula 3 and will drive for Prema.

Pepe Marti, who scored his first win on Saturday last weekend, will remain at Campos for a second season. Ritomo Miyata, who made his debut in the season this year with Rodin, has moved to ART.

F2’s three-day post-season test begins today at Yas Marina.

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Links

Ferrari will always make its cars in Italy, CEO says (Reuters)

‘Vigna also said Ferrari was ‘very proud’ of a deal it announced earlier on Tuesday, to supply engines and gearboxes to a new Cadillac Formula 1 team in a multi-year agreement from 2026 the company announced earlier on Tuesday. ‘We are very glad of this selection, and this makes us proud,’ he said. ‘In our DNA is racing. We have been present in this sport, which is now becoming entertainment, since the beginning.”

Brad Pitt’s F1 movie: Producers talk wrapping filming in Abu Dhabi, Hamilton’s role (The New York Times)

‘Everything that Brad does on the track, the little tricks that he does, drivers have done through the decades in various races. Because he doesn’t have the fastest car and he’s not the fastest driver. He has to use clever tactics to stay up with these other drivers.’

Eifel Germany Open World Map coming in summer 2025 (Assetto Corsa)

‘We’re pleased to announce a major milestone in the development of Assetto Corsa Evo: the introduction of an open world that faithfully recreates the iconic Eifel region surrounding the legendary Nürburgring, also known as the Green Hell.’

New content: Ferrari 499P (iRacing via YouTube)

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