was targeted by an F1 fan with deep pockets on Saturday night while taking part in a charity sim racing event.

'The Race for Mental Health' is a 23-hour competition in which viewers can impose racing penalties on participants by making donations. Verstappen, who is a prolific sim racer when he is not chasing down world titles with , was a popular target during his first long-haul stint.

One viewer posing as the FIA - the motorsport governing body with which Verstappen has had several high-profile run-ins - coughed up to penalise the Dutchman.

Their first donation came with the message: "Stop and go penalty for car #1." And the second, made three minutes later, referenced the well-publicised row between Verstappen and the FIA over him swearing in a press conference.

The accompanying message read: "Max, you used language that was coarse and offensive for broadcast, so it's another stop and go for car 1. Community service is next - we're watching."

Verstappen was bemused at having been picked on, saying : "Why am I being singled out?!" But he and his sim racing pals still saw the funny side in light of the friction between Verstappen and the FIA this season.

The reigning world champion has been enjoying his downtime after taking a giant step towards a fourth consecutive Drivers' Championship in Brazil last weekend. Verstappen won from 17th on the grid, producing one of his best-ever performances to move 62 points clear in the individual standings.

His nearest competitor, Lando Norris, has only 86 points left to fight for. If Verstappen betters Norris' result at the Las Vegas Grand Prix later this month, he will be mathematically confirmed champion for a fourth time.

With three races left to run in 2024, Verstappen has three more chances to add to his haul of 62 Grand Prix wins. Only Lewis Hamilton (105) and Michael Schumacher (91) have more than the Dutchman, who is still only 27 years old.

While the outlook is rosy on Verstappen's side of the garage, it is comparatively bleak for team-mate Sergio Perez. The under-fire Mexican finished outside the points for a second consecutive week at Interlagos, and Red Bull look set to pay the price, having dropped down to third in the Constructors' Championship.