The F1 penalty points system was put in place to help prevent the driving standards from falling below a threshold. As a part of this system, drivers are handed penalty points for the transgressions that they commit on the track. These transgressions could vary from speeding in the pitlane to driving dangerously.
The number of points handed to the drivers depends on the severity of the transgression committed by the driver. In case the driver reaches a threshold of 12 penalty points, they face a one-race ban. In over a decade of the system being implemented, only one driver has faced a ban.
Kevin Magnussen became the first driver this season to be banned due to this system. As F1 heads to the Chinese GP, where do the drivers stand in terms of penalty points? Let's take a look.
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F1 Penalty Points: Who is close to a ban?
#5. Esteban Ocon
Penalty Points: 3
Ocon has gotten three F1 penalty points in the last 12 months.
- Two points: Causing a collision with Pierre Gasly at the Monaco GP (expires on May 27, 2025)
- One point: Unsafe release during the Miami GP (expires on May 4, 2025)
#4. 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)
#3. Lance Stroll
Penalty Points: 4
Stroll has accumulated four F1 penalty points in the past 12 months.
- Two points: Causing a collision with Alex Albon at the Qatar GP (expires on December 2, 2025)
- Two points: Causing a collision with Daniel Ricciardo at the Chinese GP (expires on April 21, 2025)
#2. Fernando Alonso
Penalty Points: 8
Alonso has collected eight F1 penalty points, including two for his divebomb on Zhou Guanyu at the 2024 Austrian GP, which also resulted in a 10-second penalty.
- 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 F1 Chinese GP Sprint (expires on April 20, 2025)
- Three points: "Potentially dangerous driving" against George Russell at the Australian GP (expires on March 24, 2025)
#1. Max Verstappen
Penalty Points: 8
Verstappen has eight penalty points now with the Dutch driver accruing two more for his collision with Oscar Piastri.
- 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 12, 2025)
