Photo: Instagram Screencap (Outer Image)/ Aston Martin (Inner Image)
Two-time Formula One world champion and current Red Bull Racing driver Max Verstappen is in hot water this week after a video leaked allegedly showing him recklessly driving an Aston Martin Valkyrie hypercar down a road in France. In a video posted to the RBR Daily Twitter page and corroborated by the French National Gendarmerie, the post appears to show one of the world's most skilled F1 drivers hooning around in one of the world's most expensive performance road vehicles in a way that has French authorities raising more than a couple of eyebrows.
With Verstappen's hometown Dutch Grand Prix just days away, a specialized cell of the French Police dedicated to finding evidence of crimes on domestic soil via social media is investigating the exact nature of the video from the location of filming down to any potential outside parties that might have been involved. The video in question shows the man currently dominating the 2023 Formula One season driving in an ostensibly dangerous manner, including driving 120 kph (74 mph) in a zone with a 90 kph (55 mph) speed limit on the French A8 motorway between Marseille and Nice in the south of the country. It's believed Verstappen was traveling this road with his destination being Monaco.
As the 1,100-plus horsepower monster roared through the Canta-Galet tunnel going west, the world-renowned racing driver is seen driving the vehicle in a manner French authorities accuse of being a wholly-irresponsible manner unfit for public highways. More to the point, Verstappen's persistent hogging of the left lane is strictly forbidden under French law and tends to be enforced far more often than in other countries like the United States.
France is notorious for being one of the strictest countries in continental Europe regarding speeding. The bare-minimum fine for traveling between 11 and 20 kph on French roads is €135. As the speed increases, these finds can increase up to a whopping €1,500 once you get past the 50 kph over the limit range. As French authorities investigate the incident, a key determining factor will be ascertaining how fast Max Verstappen was traveling at the time this video was posted to social media. Ultimately, all the rumors surrounding Max Verstappen's recent conduct are mere accusations until French authorities formally charge the F1 star with a traffic violation or perhaps even a reckless driving charge.
For the moment, no official sanctions on the part of French authorities or Formula One's governing administration have levied any sanctions or punishments against Verstappen or the person in the passenger seat believed to have filmed the whole affair. As F1 prepares to resume after its brief summer intermission, it's looking like Max Verstappen will be allowed to participate in the end of the season. At least, that's the case right now.
As the 1,100-plus horsepower monster roared through the Canta-Galet tunnel going west, the world-renowned racing driver is seen driving the vehicle in a manner French authorities accuse of being a wholly-irresponsible manner unfit for public highways. More to the point, Verstappen's persistent hogging of the left lane is strictly forbidden under French law and tends to be enforced far more often than in other countries like the United States.
France is notorious for being one of the strictest countries in continental Europe regarding speeding. The bare-minimum fine for traveling between 11 and 20 kph on French roads is €135. As the speed increases, these finds can increase up to a whopping €1,500 once you get past the 50 kph over the limit range. As French authorities investigate the incident, a key determining factor will be ascertaining how fast Max Verstappen was traveling at the time this video was posted to social media. Ultimately, all the rumors surrounding Max Verstappen's recent conduct are mere accusations until French authorities formally charge the F1 star with a traffic violation or perhaps even a reckless driving charge.
For the moment, no official sanctions on the part of French authorities or Formula One's governing administration have levied any sanctions or punishments against Verstappen or the person in the passenger seat believed to have filmed the whole affair. As F1 prepares to resume after its brief summer intermission, it's looking like Max Verstappen will be allowed to participate in the end of the season. At least, that's the case right now.
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