An indifferent Max Verstappen has quipped that he is aiming to set for “a new record” for F1 penalties after the Mexican Grand Prix, suggesting the FIA can go for a 30-second punishment “next time.”

It comes after the Red Bull driver and reigning World Champion was hit with a rare 20-second penalty in Mexico last weekend.

Max Verstappen’s ‘new record’ quip after Mexican GP penalties

Additional reporting by Pablo Hidalgo

Verstappen was hit with two 10-second penalties for separate incidents with McLaren driver and F1 2024 title rival Lando Norris at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez on Sunday.

The first incident on Lap 10 saw Verstappen edge Norris off the circuit as the McLaren driver tried to pass him around the outside of Turn 4.

The second came just a few corners later, when Verstappen launched an aggressive move down Norris’s inside at the fast Turn 7, with both drivers taking to the run-off area and the Red Bull rejoining ahead.

It resulted in the unusual sight of a driver being forced to sit stationary for 20 seconds before Red Bull mechanics were allowed to work on Verstappen’s car during his scheduled pit stop.

Verstappen ultimately came home sixth, his joint-worst classified result in F1 2024, with Norris finishing second to reduce Verstappen’s World Championship lead to 47 points with four rounds remaining.

Speaking to DAZN Spain after the race, Verstappen quipped that he even had time to consume a can of Red Bull as he served his 20-second penalty.

And he joked that he will aim to land a 30-second time penalty in the future, with the 27-year-old now chasing a new record.

On the subject of his 20-second penalty, Verstappen said: “We even had the chance to switch off the engine and drink a Red Bull during the stop. It was relaxing.

“But the race itself has been very bad. We battled hard. I’m not going to comment on the penalties because there’s no point. It’s just that 20 seconds is too long.

“I don’t know, maybe they can give me 30 seconds next time. Maybe we have to go for a new record.

“It is what it is. I’m not going to cry about the penalties. I take it and we move on. We just have to understand our pace and that’s the most important thing.”

Verstappen’s double penalty topped off a challenging weekend in Mexico, which he described as “terrible” to media including PlanetF1.com at one stage after engine concerns restricted his running in practice.

The World Championship leader is expected to serve a five-place engine penalty at this weekend’s Brazilian Grand Prix, having been left down on power in the race after being forced to switch to an older unit in Mexico.

After an encouraging weekend at the recent United States GP, Verstappen conceded that the Red Bull RB20’s lack of pace was his main concern leaving Mexico, adding: “We were struggling.

“We had a very good race, but after that we lacked pace. I couldn’t brake, I had no grip.

“I was falling backwards in the first stint, then I had the penalty and with the hard tyre I had no pace either.

“It was very difficult and it’s something we have to understand.”

Verstappen’s comments come after his father, the former F1 racer Jos Verstappen, raised concerns over a perceived “conflict of interest” on FIA stewards’ panels after his son was hit with a draconian punishment last weekend.

According to Dutch publication De Telegraaf, Mr Verstappen’s concerns are believed to be related to former British F1 driver and Sky F1 television pundit Johnny Herbert and Tim Mayer, the son of the late McLaren co-founder Teddy Mayer, who made up half of the four-man stewards’ panel in Mexico.

Mr Verstappen told De Telegraaf: “If you look at Sunday’s actions, Max’s second moment may have been a bit too much, but he is letting this get over him.

“You can start talking about it for a very long time, but it makes no difference anyway. Max has to drive the way he wants.

“He has to do this because the car is not good enough and he is doing everything he can to win the title.

“But Max is not going to change his driving style because there were a couple of stewards present now who don’t like him anyway.

“The FIA should take a good look at the staffing of the stewards, who they put there and whether there is no appearance of a conflict of interest.

“From former drivers, for example, who have more sympathy for certain drivers or [teams].”