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The F1 penalty points system was introduced by the FIA in 2014 to keep the driving standards above a threshold. A metric was put in place where a driver, who is a repeat offender, knows that if he crosses a line in terms of driving standards, he will end up being held accountable.
As a part of the system, a driver is handed F1 penalty points for committing a transgression on track. The worse the transgression, the more the points. These points stay with the driver for 12 months.
If the driver ends up accumulating 12 points, he/she get banned for a season. We've only had Kevin Magnussen get banned through this system last season. With that being said, as we head to Miami, which drivers are close to getting banned? Let's take a look.
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F1 Penalty Points: Who is close to a ban?
#5. Oscar Piastri
Penalty Points: 4
McLaren's Oscar Piastri picked up two F1 penalty points at the Abu Dhabi GP for contact with Franco Colapinto, taking his total to four.
- Two points: Causing a collision with Franco Colapinto at the 2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix (expires on December 8, 2025)
- Two points: Causing a collision with Liam Lawson at the 2024 Brazilian GP (expires on November 2, 2025)
#4. Jack Doohan
Penalty Points: 4
Jack Doohan was on the naughty step a number of times during the Chinese GP. The driver accrued four F1 penalty points during the race weekend.
- Two points: Causing a collision with Gabriel Bortoleto at the Chinese GP Sprint (expires on March 22, 2026)
- Two points: Pushing a driver off the track at the Chinese GP (expires on March 23, 2026)
#3. Nico Hulkenberg
Penalty Points: 4
Hulkenberg has four F1 penalty points.
- 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)
#2. Liam Lawson
Penalty Points: 5
Lawson now has five 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, 2026)
- One point: Causing a collision in the Bahrain GP (expires on April 14, 2026)
#1. Max Verstappen
Penalty Points: 8
Max Verstappen has eight F1 penalty points now, with the reigning world champion accruing two more for his collision with Oscar Piastri at last season's Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
- One point: Driving unnecessarily slowly in the 2024 F1 Qatar GP Qualifying (expires on December 1, 2025)
- One point: VSC infringement in the 2024 F1 Brazilian GP Sprint (expires on November 1, 2025)
- Two points: Forcing Lando Norris off track during the 2024 F1 Mexican GP (expires on October 27, 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)
