The new F1 penalty points system was introduced in 2014 to bring back the driving standards on the grid to a respectable level. This was a reaction to the stark drop experienced in the sport in the early 2010s. In the early 2010s, first lap incidents happened often.
There were also far too many collisions, with drivers like Romain Grosjean and Pastor Maldonado making a habit of it. What made it all worse was that no specific metric was in place to prevent this.
This was precisely why the new F1 penalty points system was introduced in 2014, where a driver was handed penalty points for transgressions on track. In the last decade or so of these rules being brought into effect, only one driver has faced a race. Kevin Magnussen became the first driver last season to be banned under this system.
With the 2025 F1 season about to begin with the Australian Grand Prix, how does each driver stack up in terms of penalty points? Let's take a look.
F1 Penalty points ahead of the 2025 pre-season testing
#1 Lando Norris
Penalty Points: 3
Lando Norris now has a total of three F1 penalty points to his name.
- Three points: Ignoring yellow flags at the 2024 F1 Qatar GP (expiring on December 1, 2025)
#2 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.
- 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)
#3 Charles Leclerc
Penalty Points: 0
Ferrari's Leclerc has managed to maintain a clean slate over the last 12 months.
#4 Lewis Hamilton
Penalty Points: 0
Leclerc's new Ferrari teammate, Lewis Hamilton, also has a clean slate in the previous 12 months.
#5 Max Verstappen
Penalty Points: 8
The defending champion Verstappen has eight penalty points now, with the reigning world champion accruing two more for his collision with Oscar Piastri at last season's Abu Dhabi GP.
- 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)
#6 Liam Lawson
Penalty Points: 2
Lawson has two penalty points for causing a collision at the F1 Qatar GP.
- Two points: Causing a collision with Valtteri Bottas at the Qatar GP (expires on December 1, 2025)
#7 George Russell
Penalty Points: 1
Mercedes driver Russell has one penalty point to his name.
- One point: SC infringement at the 2024 F1 Qatar GP (expires on December 1, 2025)
#8 Kimi Antonelli
Penalty Points: 0
Kimi Antonelli has a clean slate for now.
#9 Fernando Alonso
Penalty Points: 8
Aston Martin veteran Fernando Alonso has collected eight F1 penalty points, including two for his dive-bomb on Zhou Guanyu at the 2024 Austrian GP. It 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)
#10 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 1, 2025)
- Two points: Causing a collision with Daniel Ricciardo at the Chinese GP (expires on April 21, 2025)
#11 Pierre Gasly
Penalty Points: 0
Gasly doesn't have any F1 penalty points.
#12 Jack Doohan
Penalty Points: 0
Doohan doesn't have any penalty points.
#13 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)
#14 Ollie Bearman
Penalty Points: 2
Bearman has two penalty points to his name going into the 2025 season.
- Two points: Causing a collision with Franco Colapinto at the 2024 Brazilian GP (expires on November 2, 2025).
#15 Yuki Tsunoda
Penalty Points: 0
Tsunoda has a clean slate going into the 2025 season.
#16 Isack Hadjar
Penalty Points: 0
Hadjar has a clean slate going into the off-season.
#17 Carlos Sainz
Penalty Points: 1
The former Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz has one F1 penalty points ahead of the 2025 Australian GP.
- One point: Causing a collision with Oscar Piastri at the 2024 F1 Miami GP (expires on May 5, 2025)
#18 Alex Albon
Penalty Points: 2
Albon has two F1 penalty points to his name.
- Two points: Causing a collision with Kevin Magnussen at the Qatar GP (expires on December 1, 2025)
#19 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)
#20 Gabriel Bortoleto
Penalty Points: 0
Bortoleto has a clean slate heading into his first full season.