F1 Penalty Points: Verstappen close to ban as rookie star in dan…read more
This weekend at the Chinese Grand Prix, the stewards had a particularly hectic Sunday after the race, disqualifying three drivers for technical violations. However, none of these drivers – Lewis Hamilton, Charles Leclerc, or Pierre Gasly – received any penalty points for their disqualifications. Despite that, penalty points were still awarded to other drivers throughout the weekend. For instance, by the end of the race, Jack Doohan had accumulated four penalty points, having entered the weekend with none.
Doohan’s rapid rise in penalty points is concerning. He earned four penalty points over just three race weekends, which puts him at risk of being suspended for the Spanish Grand Prix in early June. However, it’s likely that Doohan won’t continue accumulating points at this rate. Alpine may decide to replace him with Franco Colapinto, who is waiting in the wings. However, no official decision on this has been made yet, and Alpine has stated there are no plans for a switch at this stage of the season.
Max Verstappen, the current World Champion, has accumulated a total of eight penalty points on his superlicense, the same as Fernando Alonso. This means he’s getting closer to a potential ban as well. Verstappen’s penalty points won’t expire until June 30, 2024, the same day Alonso’s points will be removed.
The penalty points system in Formula 1 is a way to regulate driver behavior and keep the competition safe. Each infraction, whether it’s causing a collision, blocking another driver, or speeding under yellow flags, earns a driver penalty points, which accumulate over the course of the season. If a driver reaches 12 penalty points within a 12-month period, they will face a race ban.
For Verstappen, the points remain on his record for a set period before they expire, so he’ll need to keep track of when his points are due to fall off. For instance, the points he earned at the Austrian Grand Prix for causing a collision with Lando Norris will stay on his record until June 30, 2025. Similarly, his points from the Mexican Grand Prix for forcing Norris off-track will expire a year later, on October 27, 2025.
The points system has become especially crucial for new drivers like Doohan, who are still learning the ropes of F1. For example, rookies Oscar Piastri and Lance Stroll have each earned four penalty points, while Lando Norris and Esteban Ocon have three points. Some experienced drivers, including Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc, have yet to accumulate any penalty points this season.
This system also highlights the pressure faced by drivers to maintain clean race performances while still competing at the highest level. As the season progresses, many drivers will need to carefully manage their behavior to avoid accumulating penalties that could affect their future races and potentially even their careers in the sport.
