The stewards at the Miami Grand Prix had a busy Saturday, handing out penalties to several drivers during the sprint race. Max Verstappen received a 10-second time penalty for an unsafe release that forced Kimi Antonelli to take evasive action, dropping him to the back of the field. Alex Albon and Ollie Bearman also received penalties, knocking them out of the points.
However, none of these drivers received penalty points on their FIA superlicence. In contrast, Liam Lawson, Verstappen’s former teammate, was given a five-second penalty for causing a collision with Fernando Alonso and also received a penalty point. This brings Lawson’s total to six penalty points, six points shy of a one-race ban. If a driver accumulates 12 penalty points within a 12-month period, they face an automatic one-race ban, as Kevin Magnussen experienced last season.
With six penalty points, Lawson will need to be cautious in the coming months to avoid a potential ban. Similarly, Max Verstappen is also getting close to a possible ban and should be mindful of his driving, especially when making late dives down the inside or defensive moves. Drivers can shed penalty points over time, and the details of each driver’s points, including the reason for the penalty and when they will expire, are tracked closely.
For example, Verstappen won’t lose any points until June 30, the same day Fernando Alonso will shed the last of his points. As the season progresses, drivers will need to balance their competitive drive with the need to avoid penalties and maintain their eligibility to compete.
