The end of the Italian Grand Prix marked an important step towards a clean slate for Max Verstappen, as the number of penalty points he amassed was reduced to five. Formula 1 stewards hand out penalty points if a driver is caught up in an on-track incident, however these points get wiped after a 12-month period. If a driver amasses more than 12 points in that time, then they will be given an automatic race ban. Intense title battle with Hamilton The majority of points for Verstappen were a legacy of his intense championship battle with Lewis Hamilton throughout 2021,…