Every year, Formula 1 drivers navigate the tightrope of accumulating penalty points, risking race suspensions. This enduring challenge doesn’t ease, as points carry over, setting a high-stakes backdrop for the season ahead.
As is the case every year, some drivers will enter the Formula 1 season facing a precarious situation regarding penalty points threats. Notably, the penalty points tally doesn’t reset over the winter, leaving drivers to carry forward their respective totals.
Drivers start with a clean slate, and, similar to the British system, points accumulate with infractions. Once a driver accumulates 12 penalty points, they face suspension for one race. Pierre Gasly had amassed 10 points during the 2022-2023 off-season but managed to avoid the harshest penalty.
Sergio Pérez appears to be the most at risk for the upcoming year, already having 7 points on his license. The most challenging aspect for him is that these seven points were incurred from mid-September onwards, meaning none will be removed before September 17, 2024, as they remain on the license for a year.
Logan Sargeant also has 6 points, which will stay on his record until September 3, and the young American from Williams needs to tread carefully. This system was instituted following the immediate suspension of Romain Grosjean after the crash in Belgium.
The penalty points situation for various Formula 1 drivers
| Driver | Team | Points | Next Points Recovery (Amount) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sergio Pérez | Red Bull | 7 | September 17 (1 pt) |
| Logan Sargeant | Williams | 6 | September 3 (2 pts) |
| Lance Stroll | Aston Martin | 5 | July 9 (2 pts) |
| Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | 4 | July 29 (2 pts) |
| George Russell | Mercedes | 4 | May 28 (2 pts) |
| Yuki Tsunoda | RB F1 Team | 3 | June 4 (1 pt) |
| Nico Hülkenberg | Haas | 2 | May 29 (2 pts) |
| Max Verstappen | Red Bull | 2 | November 19 (2 pts) |
| Carlos Sainz | Ferrari | 2 | April 2 (2 pts) |
| Guanyu Zhou | Stake | 2 | July 23 (2 pts) |
| Valtteri Bottas | Stake | 2 | October 29 (2 pts) |
F1 Penalty Point System. F1 Penalty Point System
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