What are they and how many does each F1 driver hav...

Throughout a Method 1 race, stewards can hand out all method of punishments to drivers that breach the rules. Time penalties, fines and reprimands are sometimes dished out for incidents like inflicting a collision or dashing within the pitlane, however the stewards may concern drivers with penalty factors that accrue on their superlicence.

The penalty factors system was introduced in as a manner of monitoring the behaviour of F1 drivers over the course of a season. When drivers are penalised with penalty factors, they’re monitored by way of their superlicence and if a racer picks up 12 or extra within the area of a 12-month interval then they’re handed a one-race ban.

Former Haas racer Kevin Magnussen was the final F1 driver to obtain a race ban after he amassed 12 penalty factors forward of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. He subsequently sat out the race and was changed by Oliver Bearman for the grand prix.

Are another drivers on the present grid prone to befalling the same destiny?

Pink Bull ace Max Verstappen is main for the variety of penalty factors proper now, having picked up 11 because the 2024 Austrian Grand Prix. He was subsequently handed additional penalties at races in Mexico, Brazil, Qatar and Abu Dhabi, plus Spain in 2025.

Verstappen’s oldest factors had been handed out for inflicting a collision after the Pink Bull driver crashed with the McLaren of Lando Norris in final yr’s Austrian Grand Prix. He picked up an additional two factors 4 months later when F1 raced in Mexico. On that event, the Dutch racer was discovered to have pressured Norris off observe whereas the McLaren racer tried an overtake across the outdoors of Flip 4.

Per week later, Verstappen was penalised for driving too rapidly underneath digital security automobile situations, which earned him his fifth level. The other concern befell Verstappen in Qatar, nevertheless, as he was handed a penalty level for driving unnecessarily slowly throughout his cooldown lap in qualifying for the grand prix.

Additional factors to land on Verstappen’s licence got here within the 2024 season finale in Abu Dhabi. Throughout the grand prix, the Pink Bull driver collided with McLaren’s Oscar Piastri whereas trying an audacious overtake down the within of Flip 1. The 2 vehicles got here collectively, and the stewards positioned the blame on Verstappen as he “by no means bought far sufficient alongside.”

Verstappen then picked up three extra factors for clashing with George Russell in the course of the 2025 Spanish GP. The Pink Bull driver was indignant at being informed to provide the place up by his staff to the Mercedes driver after their preliminary contact at Flip 1 after a security automobile restart, and whereas showing to let Russell by just a few laps later at Flip 5 he then bumped into him. Verstappen was additionally given a 10s penalty for the conflict.

Racing Bulls driver Liam Lawson has the second highest tally of penalty factors on the grid. The New Zealander picked up his first factors eventually yr’s Qatar Grand Prix, earlier than being handed an additional three on the 2025 Bahrain Grand prix.

All six of Lawson’s penalty factors had been handed out for inflicting collisions with different drivers. The Kiwi’s first two factors got here when the stewards deemed him at fault for a crash with Valtteri Bottas on Flip 1 of the race in Qatar.

Then, when F1 raced in Bahrain earlier this season, Lawson picked up an additional three factors. One was handed out after the Racing Bulls driver crashed with the rear of Lance Stroll’s Aston Martin. Simply quarter-hour later, Lawson tried to dive down the within of Flip 1 for a go on Nico Hulkenberg however crashed with the Sauber driver within the course of. Stewards trying into the crash put the blame squarely on Lawson.

Lawson picked up an additional penalty level within the Miami GP for inflicting a collision with Fernando Alonso, placing him midway in direction of a race ban.

The present Method 1 championship chief, Oscar Piastri, has simply 4 factors on his licence, having picked up his first two throughout final yr’s race in Brazil. The younger Australian was handed an additional two penalty factors on the season finale in Abu Dhabi.

Oscar Piastri, McLaren

Photograph by: Sam Bagnall / Motorsport Photos

Piastri picked up two penalty factors and a 10-second time penalty in the course of the race in Brazil after trying an inside go on Liam Lawson that resulted within the Australian hitting the Kiwi at Flip 1, and stewards concluded that he was “wholly at fault for the collision.”

A month later, Piastri was as soon as once more within the stewards’ unhealthy books after tangling with Williams driver Franco Colapinto. Throughout the closing race of the season, Piastri reportedly “misjudged the vehicles in entrance” and braked too late on the method to Flip 6 at Yas Marina. As such, he bumped into the again of Colapinto who, finally, retired from the race.

Sauber driver Nico Hulkenberg additionally has 4 factors on his superlicence, following breaches in Austria and Italy in the course of the 2024 season.

The German’s first factors had been dished out within the dash race after he was discovered to have pressured Aston Martin driver Fernando Alonso off observe. The choice was reached after Hulkenberg tried a go on Alonso into Flip 3, however locked up and missed the apex of the nook. The then-Haas driver understeered and ran broad, which stopped Alonso from making the nook and compelled him off the race observe.

When Method 1 returned to Monza just a few months later, Hulkenberg earned one other two factors and a 10-second time penalty following the same lock up. The German locked his wheels into Flip 1 on the Italian observe and collided with Yuki Tsunoda, which ended the Japanese driver’s race.

Alpine rookie Jack Doohan has nearly as many penalty factors as he has race begins, presently sitting at 4 factors over his six grand prix begins. Doohan’s 4 factors had been picked up throughout two incidents over this yr’s Chinese language Grand Prix weekend.

Doohan’s first factors in F1 had been handed out within the dash race, the place he was discovered to be at fault for a crash with Sauber driver Gabriel Bortoleto. The pair got here collectively at Flip 14 when Doohan tried an overtake however locked up and understeered into the Sauber, which earned him a 10-second penalty and the factors on his licence.

The following day, Doohan was handed the identical penalty after he was discovered to have misplaced management and locked up whereas trying to go Racing Bulls driver Isack Hadjar at Flip 14.

Oliver Bearman, Haas F1 Staff

Photograph by: Erik Junius

After sickness struck down Haas racer Kevin Magnussen, Oliver Bearman bought one other early outing for Haas final yr, and duly picked up his first to superlicence penalty factors within the course of.

Throughout the 2024 Brazilian Grand Prix, Bearman got here along with Williams driver Franco Colapinto. The Haas driver hit the rear of Colapinto’s automobile and was discovered to be “wholly” at fault by the stewards. As such, he was issued two penalty factors and a 10-second penalty within the race.

Bearman picked up one other two factors for overtaking underneath purple flags throughout observe on the Monaco GP.

McLaren driver Lando Norris picked all three of his penalty factors up throughout a single incident, making it the harshest penalty handed out to any driver on the present grid.

The factors had been issued to Norris on the 2024 Qatar Grand Prix the place he didn’t decelerate whereas double waved yellow flags had been displaying on observe. Stewards reviewed marshalling system information, video, timing and telemetry to conclude that Norris hadn’t lowered his velocity when the flags had been introduced out on account of particles on observe. In addition to the three factors, Norris was given a 10-second time penalty in the course of the race.

Alonso’s team-mate at Aston Martin, Lance Stroll, additionally has two penalty factors on his superlicence. The Canadian driver was handed the factors in the course of the 2024 Qatar Grand Prix, the place he was discovered to be at fault for a crash involving Alex Albon. Stroll mounted the kerb at Flip 4, which unsettled his automobile and resulted in him hitting the aspect of Albon’s Williams.

Stroll picked up one additional penalty level for clashing with Charles Leclerc throughout Monaco GP observe.

Alexander Albon – Two factors

Williams racer Alex Albon earned his two penalty factors throughout final yr’s Qatar Grand Prix. The Thai driver was discovered by the stewards to have induced a collision with the Haas of Kevin Magnussen. The Flip 1 crash occurred after Albon oversteered across the nook and tried to appropriate his mistake. The repair didn’t stick, and Albon collided with Magnussen in an incident that he mentioned was “my fault” following the grand prix.

Veteran racer Fernando Alonso has had a really quiet few months, amassing simply two factors throughout final yr’s Austrian Grand prix and choosing up no extra factors within the ensuing 18 grands prix.

Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin F1 Staff, speaks to the media

Photograph by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Photos

Approach again in June final yr, Alonso was racing in opposition to Sauber driver Zhou Guanyu across the Pink Bull Ring. The Spaniard tried a “very late overtake” down the within of Flip 3 and “by no means bought ready to have the suitable to the road,” stewards concluded.

The pair collided on the nook, and Alonso was discovered to be at fault for the incident, which earned him two penalty factors and a 10-second time penalty.

Franco Colapinto – Two factors

Throughout his stint with Williams on the finish of 2024, Franco Colapinto picked up two penalty factors for a conflict with Liam Lawson within the Mexican Grand Prix.

Carlos Sainz has two factors on his licence. Earlier this season, Sainz was in hassle with the stewards in Bahrain and was handed two factors and a 10-second penalty for forcing Andrea Kimi Antonelli off the observe. Stewards concluded that Sainz had locked up on the method to Flip 10 in Bahrain, which resulted in him understeering “in direction of Automobile 12, lacking the apex and forcing Automobile 12 off the observe.”

Other than the seven drivers who don’t have a penalty level simply but, Mercedes driver George Russell has the fewest factors on his superlicence proper now.

Russell was penalised within the 2024 Qatar Grand Prix for failing to keep up the proper distance behind the protection automobile. Within the race, Russell fell greater than 125 metres again from the protection automobile, which the stewards deemed was greater than the 20-car-length minimal that racers ought to observe. Consequently, he was given a five-second penalty and one level was added to his superlicence.

F1 driver penalty factors