F1 Penalty Points: Who is closest to a ban?

The F1 penalty points system has been put in place to keep the driving standards in the sport above a certain level. These were introduced in 2014 after the driving standards took a dip in the early 2010s and there were quite a few incidents on track. We even had Romain Grosjean getting banned in 2012 for the first-lap incident in Belgium.

As part of the penalty points system, drivers are given points based on the severity of their transgressions. These transgressions could be dangerous driving, causing a collision, etc.

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. In the 2024 F1 season, we're done with 21 races, and only 3 are left. Who is closest to a ban? Let's take a look.

F1 Penalty points

#1. Lewis Hamilton

Penalty Points: 0

Hamilton has a clean slate in the last 12 months.

#2. George Russell

Penalty Points: 2

Russell has two penalty points, which he picked up at Las Vegas in 2023.

Two points: For causing a collision with Max Verstappen at the 2023 Las Vegas Grand Prix (expire on November 19, 2024)

#3. Max Verstappen

Penalty Points: 7

Verstappen has seven penalty points, with the latest coming at the Brazilian GP due to his incident with Lando Norris.

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 (expire on October 28, 2025)
Two points: Causing a collision with Norris at the 2024 F1 Austrian GP (expire on June 30, 2025)
Two points: Forcing Charles Leclerc off track during the 2023 Las Vegas Grand Prix (expire on November 19, 2024)

#4. Sergio Perez

Penalty Points: 3

Sergio Perez has accumulated three penalty points.

Two points: Causing a collision with Lando Norris at the 2023 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix (expire on November 26, 2024)
One point: Unsafe release in the pit lane during the 2024 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix (expires on March 9, 2025)

#5. Charles Leclerc

Penalty Points: 0

Leclerc has maintained a clean slate over the last 12 months.

#6. Carlos Sainz

Penalty Points: 1

Sainz has one penalty point for the contact he made while racing Oscar Piastri in the Miami GP.

One point: Causing a collision with Oscar Piastri at the 2024 F1 Miami GP (expires on May 5, 2025)

#7. Lando Norris

Penalty Points: 0

Norris has kept a clean slate over the last 12 months.

#8. Oscar Piastri

Penalty Points: 0

Oscar Piastri was involved in a collision with Esteban Ocon in Austin last season but was not penalized and has a clean slate.

#9. Fernando Alonso

Penalty Points: 8

Alonso has collected eight F1 penalty points, including two for his divebomb on Guanyu Zhou at the 2024 Austrian GP, which also brought a 10-second penalty.

Two points: Causing a collision with Zhou Guanyu at the F1 Austrian GP (expire on June 30, 2025)
Three points: Pushing Carlos Sainz off the track at the F1 Chinese GP Sprint (expire on April 20, 2025)
Three points: "Potentially dangerous driving" against George Russell at the Australian GP (expire on March 24, 2025)

#10. Lance Stroll

Penalty Points: 5

Stroll has accumulated five F1 penalty points in the past 12 months, with two of them coming for causing a collision with Daniel Ricciardo in China.

Two points: Causing a collision with Daniel Ricciardo at the Chinese GP (expire on April 21, 2025)
Three points: Overtaking under yellow flag conditions at the 2023 Las Vegas Grand Prix (expire on November 17, 2024)

#11. Esteban Ocon

Penalty Points: 3

Ocon got three F1 penalty points for his collision with his teammate Pierre Gasly.

Two points: Causing a collision with Pierre Gasly at the Monaco GP (expire on May 27, 2025)
One point: Unsafe release during the Miami GP (expires on May 4, 2025)

#12. Pierre Gasly

Penalty Points: 0

Gasly doesn't have any penalty points.

#13. Liam Lawson

Penalty Points: 0

Lawson has a clean slate in terms of penalty points.

#14. Yuki Tsunoda

Penalty Points: 0

Tsunoda has a clean slate after the race in Sao Paulo.

#15. Franco Colapinto

Penalty Points: 0

Colapinto has kept his nose clean as he began life as an F1 driver.

#16. Alex Albon

Penalty Points: 0

Albon doesn't have any F1 penalty points at the moment.

#17. Kevin Magnussen

Penalty Points: 0

Magnussen has a clean slate after serving his one-race ban.

#18. 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 (expire on September 1, 2025)
Two points: Causing a collision with Fernando Alonso during the 2024 Austrian GP Sprint (expires on June 29, 2025)

F1 Penalty Points: Who is closest to a ban?

F1 Penalty points

#1. Lewis Hamilton

Penalty Points: 0

#2. George Russell

Penalty Points: 2

#3. Max Verstappen

Penalty Points: 7

#4. Sergio Perez

Penalty Points: 3

#5. Charles Leclerc

Penalty Points: 0

#6. Carlos Sainz

Penalty Points: 1

#7. Lando Norris

Penalty Points: 0

#8. Oscar Piastri

Penalty Points: 0

#9. Fernando Alonso

Penalty Points: 8

#10. Lance Stroll

Penalty Points: 5

#11. Esteban Ocon

Penalty Points: 3

#12. Pierre Gasly

Penalty Points: 0

#13. Liam Lawson

Penalty Points: 0

#14. Yuki Tsunoda

Penalty Points: 0

#15. Franco Colapinto

Penalty Points: 0

#16. Alex Albon

Penalty Points: 0

#17. Kevin Magnussen

Penalty Points: 0

#18. Nico Hulkenberg

Penalty Points: 4

#19. Valtteri Bottas

Penalty Points: 0

#20. Guanyu Zhou

Penalty Points: 0