F1 penalty points: 5 biggest delinquents after the 2025 Australian GP
The F1 penalty points system was introduced to keep the driving standards above a threshold. If the drivers reach 12 penalty points within a 12-month period, they are faced with a race ban. These points are given on the basis of driver transgressions on the track, and these can range from dangerous driving to speeding through the pitlane.
These were introduced in 2014 after a period when driver transgressions had increased during race weekends. First lap incidents had started to become the norm, and hence the crash-prone drivers started to dictate a lot of the results that we ended up having in races.
One of the biggest examples of this was what happened in 2012, when Romain Grosjean's and Pastor Maldonado's incidents had a direct impact on the race of title contenders.
Since the penalty points system's introduction, only one driver has faced a race ban. Kevin Magnussen was the first driver to get banned last year after the driver had accumulated 12 points within a 12-month period and had to sit out of the race in Baku.
With the F1 Australian GP now in the rearview mirror, let's take a look at the top five delinquents on the grid based on their penalty points.
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 26, 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 1, 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 8, 2025)