F1 penalty points: 5 biggest delinquents after the 2025 Bahrain GP

The F1 Penalty Point System was implemented to keep the driving standards above a certain level. The system was first brought into the picture in 2014 after the driving standards took a dip in the early 2010s. New and inexperienced drivers tended to get caught up in far too many collisions, and that brought the spotlight on the way the sport was being officiated.

Romain Grosjean was banned for the first lap incident at the 2012 F1 Belgian Grand Prix. Based on the Penalty Points system, drivers are given points on the basis of the severity of their transgressions. These transgressions could be dangerous driving, causing a collision, among others.

These points stay with the driver for 12 months, after which they expire. Any driver that ends up accumulating 12 F1 penalty points faces a race ban. Last season, we had Kevin Magnussen becoming the first driver to accumulate 12 points in 12 months and was banned. As the 2025 F1 grid moves on from the Bahrain GP, who are the top five delinquents? Let's take a look.

F1 Penalty Points: Who is close to a ban?

#5 Jack Doohan

Penalty Points: 4

Jack Doohan picked up four penalty points during the Chinese GP race weekend, only his third race in Formula 1.

• Two points: Causing a collision with Gabriel Bortoleto at the 2025 Chinese GP Sprint (expires on March 22, 2026)
• Two points: Pushing Isack Hadjar off the track at the 2025 Chinese GP Sprint (expires on March 23, 2026)

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#4 Nico Hulkenberg

Penalty Points: 4

Kick Sauber driver Hulkenberg has four F1 penalty points to his name.

• Two points: Causing a collision with Yuki Tsunoda at the 2024 Italian Grand Prix (expires on September 1, 2025)
• Two points: Causing a collision with Fernando Alonso during the 2024 Austrian GP Sprint (expires on June 29, 2025)

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#3 Liam Lawson

Penalty Points: 5

Lawson now has 5 penalty points after an action-packed F1 Bahrain GP.

• Two points: Causing a collision with Valtteri Bottas at the Qatar GP (expires on December 1, 2025)
• Two points: Causing a collision in the Bahrain GP (expires on April 14, 2025)
• One point: Causing a collision in the Bahrian GP (expires on April 14, 2025)

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#2 Fernando Alonso

Penalty Points: 5

Fernando Alonso has collected five F1 penalty points.

• Two points: Causing a collision with Zhou Guanyu at the F1 Austrian GP (expires on June 30, 2025)
• Three points: Pushing Carlos Sainz off the track at the 2024 F1 Chinese GP Sprint (expires on April 20, 2025)

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#1 Max Verstappen

Penalty Points: 8

Verstappen has eight F1 penalty points to his name, with the four-time champion on the receiving end of a number of penalties last season.

• One point: Driving unnecessarily in the 2024 F1 Qatar GP (expires on December 1, 2025)
• One point: VSC infringement in the 2024 F1 Brazilian GP Sprint (expires on November 2, 2025)
• Two points: Forcing Lando Norris off track during the 2024 F1 Mexican GP (expires on October 28, 2025)
• Two points: Causing a collision with Norris at the 2024 F1 Austrian GP (expires on June 30, 2025)
• Two points: Causing a collision with Oscar Piastri at the 2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix (expires on December 8, 2025)