Every penalty point Formula 1 drivers have going into 2021

Valtteri Bottas. Photo: Mark Thompson/Getty Images.
Valtteri Bottas. Photo: Mark Thompson/Getty Images.

Drivers receive penalty points on their super license if any actions taken by them are deemed dangerous or hazardous. There are many examples of actions that can lead to penalty points such as causing collisions, violating speed limits, disregarding yellow flags, and many more.

The penalty point stays on the super license for one year before being removed. Drivers are allowed to rack up 11 penalty points a year. However, after receiving 12 points, however, the driver risks a race ban. Daniil Kvyat was the closest driver to a race ban in 2017 when he racked up ten penalty points over the season.

How many points does each driver have before heading into the season? Expect some shocks in this list as we find out which driver is closest to receiving a race ban.

Valtteri Bottas

No Penalty Points

Valtteri Bottas did not receive a single penalty point in 2020. He also had zero penalty points in 2019, showing that the Finn is a clean and consistent driver. He begins the 2021 season free from any penalty points related burdens.

Max Verstappen

No Penalty Points

Max Verstappen. Photo Credits: Mark Thompson/Getty Images.
Max Verstappen. Photo Credits: Mark Thompson/Getty Images.

Max Verstappen accumulated the most penalty points amassed over a season, twice. He managed this feat in 2015 and 2018. Shockingly, he will go into the 2021 season with no penalty points on his super license.

Sebastian Vettel

No Penalty Points

Sebastian Vettel. Photo: Mark Thompson/Getty Images.
Sebastian Vettel. Photo: Mark Thompson/Getty Images.

Sebastian Vettel was on his best behavior in 2020. He wasn't given a single penalty point. In 2019, the German had the most penalty points along with Daniel Ricciardo, with seven.

Fernando Alonso

No Penalty Points

Fernando Alonso. Photo: Mark Thompson/Getty Images.
Fernando Alonso. Photo: Mark Thompson/Getty Images.

Fernando Alonso will have no penalty points on his super license. Even though he raced in other racing competitions in his two-year hiatus from F1, penalty points do not carry over from one championship to another.

Pierre Gasly

No Penalty Points

Pierre Gasly. Photo: Andrew Hone/Getty Images.
Pierre Gasly. Photo: Andrew Hone/Getty Images.

Pierre Gasly took the first win of his career in 2020. He also received no penalty points throughout the year, meaning he comes into the 2021 season with none. Gasly is regarded as a driver who can stay out of trouble, only picking up five penalty points since his career started in 2017.

Nicholas Latifi

No Penalty Points

Nicholas Latifi. Photo: Mark Thompson/Getty Images.
Nicholas Latifi. Photo: Mark Thompson/Getty Images.

Nicholas Latifi made his debut in the series in 2020. He received no penalty points last year, which means the Canadian enters the season with no blemish on his super license.

Mick Schumacher

No Penalty Points

Mick Shumacher. Photo: Lars Baron/Getty Images.
Mick Shumacher. Photo: Lars Baron/Getty Images.

Mick, the son of legendary Michael Schumacher, makes his debut in the series this year. He therefore has no penalty points on his license so far.

Nikita Mazepin

No Penalty Points

Nikita Mazepin. Photo: Mark Thompson/Getty Images.
Nikita Mazepin. Photo: Mark Thompson/Getty Images.

Nikita Mazepin has profited from the rule which does not carry penalty points across championships. He finished the 2020 season in F2 with eleven penalty points, one short of a race ban. Additionally, in 2019, Mazepin received a four-point penalty for a collision in which he was entirely to blame. However, he comes into the 2021 Formula 1 season with no penalty points on his super license.

Yuki Tsunoda

No Penalty Points

Yuki Tsunoda. Photo: Peter Fox/Getty Images
Yuki Tsunoda. Photo: Peter Fox/Getty Images

Yuki Tsunoda will join Alpha Tauri this season. It is his debut season in the championship and the young Japanese has no penalty points heading into the 2021 Formula 1 season.

Daniel Ricciardo

One Penalty Point

Daniel Ricciardo. Photo: Bryn Lennon/Getty Images.
Daniel Ricciardo. Photo: Bryn Lennon/Getty Images.

Daniel Ricciardo began the 2020 season with seven penalty points on his super license. This year, however, he will begin the year with just one penalty point, which he received in Russia last year.

Carlos Sainz

One Penalty Point

Carlos Sainz. Photo: Mark Thompson/Getty Images.
Carlos Sainz. Photo: Mark Thompson/Getty Images.

Ferrari’s newest recruit, Carlos Sainz, starts the 2021 season off positively with just a single penalty point on his super license.

Esteban Ocon

One Penalty Point

Esteban Ocon. Photo: Rudy Carezzevoli/Getty Images.
Esteban Ocon. Photo: Rudy Carezzevoli/Getty Images.

Esteban Ocon has a solitary penalty point to his name. He begins the season without the pressure of a race ban and will look to capitalize on his situation.

Sergio Perez

Two Penalty Points

Sergio Perez. Photo Credits: Dan Istitene/Getty Images for Red Bull Racing.
Sergio Perez. Photo Credits: Dan Istitene/Getty Images for Red Bull Racing.

Sergio Perez begins the 2021 season with two penalty points. He also received two reprimands for incidents at the Portuguese Grand Prix. These reprimands did not add penalty points to his super license, but meant that if he earned one more penalty point in the 2020 season, he would be given a 10-place grid drop.

Charles Leclerc

Three Penalty Points

Charles Leclerc. Photo: Mark Thompson/Getty Images.
Charles Leclerc. Photo: Mark Thompson/Getty Images.

Charles Leclerc heads into the 2021 season with three penalty points on his super license.

Lance Stroll

Three Penalty Points

Lance Stroll. Photo: Dan Istitene/Getty Images.
Lance Stroll. Photo: Dan Istitene/Getty Images.

Lance Stroll, driving for Aston Martin, also has three penalty points to his name at the start of the 2021 Formula 1 season.

Antonio Giovinazzi

Three Penalty Points

Antonio Giovinazzi. Photo: Mark Thompson/Getty Images.
Antonio Giovinazzi. Photo: Mark Thompson/Getty Images.

Heading into the 2021 season, Giovinazzi has three penalty points on his super license.

Kimi Raikkonen

Four Penalty Points

Kimi Raikkonen. Photo: Charles Coates/Getty Images.
Kimi Raikkonen. Photo: Charles Coates/Getty Images.

Kimi began the 2020 season with two penalty points and gathered more as the season advanced. He received two more penalty points at the 2020 Eifel Grand Prix. The Finn heads into the 2021 Formula 1 season with four penalty points.

Lando Norris

Five Penalty Points

Lando Norris. Photo: Mark Thompson/Getty Images.
Lando Norris. Photo: Mark Thompson/Getty Images.

Lando Norris started the 2020 season without a single point on his super license. However, he accumulated five points over the course of the season and starts the 2021 Formula 1 season with the same.

George Russell

Six Penalty Points

George Russell. Photo: James Bearne/Getty Images.
George Russell. Photo: James Bearne/Getty Images.

George Russell has six penalty points on his super license as the 2021 Formula 1 season comes closer. Russell seemed to have a problem with the double-yellow flag as he received his penalty points in two instances of neglecting the flag.

Lewis Hamilton

Six Penalty Points

Sir Lewis Hamilton. Photo: Rudy Carezzevoli/Getty Images.
Sir Lewis Hamilton. Photo: Rudy Carezzevoli/Getty Images.

The reigning world champion Lewis Hamilton starts the 2021 Formula 1 season with six penalty points to his name. The seven-time champion is just six more points away from a race ban.

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Edited by Utathya Ghosh
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