F1 penalty points: One driver perilously close to race ban as FIA guide updates

F1 has begun its 2026 campaign, but a change in FIA guidelines may yet see drivers able to escape the imminent possibility of a race ban in the months to come.

The use of penalty points in F1 is a continuous talking point in the sport, with the possibility existing for drivers to be forced to sit out a race if their on-track behaviour goes against the rules too often.

What are penalty points used for in Formula 1?

Formula 1’s penalty points system is in place to keep driver behaviour under control in the same way as regular road users, with 12 points on their FIA Super Licence over a 12-month period resulting in a one-race ban.

Penalty points are issued for driver transgressions, with the amount varying depending on the severity of the incident. Once a year has passed since each particular offence, the points connected to that specific incident get wiped, meaning they have to be careful to avoid crossing that fateful 12-point threshold.

What constitutes a penalty point offence has changed for the 2026 season, with the Driving Standards Guidelines having been updated to suggest penalty points only be handed out for “dangerous, reckless or apparently deliberate actions resulting in a collision or for other unacceptable or unsportsmanlike behaviour.”

Of course, the guidelines remain guidelines so are not concrete FIA regulations, but the stewards refer to them when deciding what punishments to hand to drivers.

Currently closest to 12 points is Haas driver Ollie Bearman, who moved ahead of Max Verstappen in the standings at the 2025 Italian Grand Prix. After another penalty point was added to his licence for erratic driving in Abu Dhabi, Bearman sits just two points away from an automatic race ban.

He will have to be careful for a long time yet, however, as his next points don’t expire until May 2026. This will mean he has seven race weekends to navigate before any points fall away from his licence.

Yuki Tsunoda has dropped to a reserve role at Red Bull, but should he race early in the year, he will start on eight penalty points, courtesy of an erratic driving penalty in Abu Dhabi.

The points are ever-evolving as new penalties are added and the previous year’s expires, so we’ve compiled a handy list of each driver’s total, and when penalty points are next due to fall away from their licences.

F1 penalty points: Each driver’s current total

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F1 penalty points: How each driver reached their current total

Oliver Bearman – Ten penalty points

• Two points: Expire 23rd May 2026. These were issued for overtaking Carlos Sainz under a red flag in FP2 at the 2025 Monaco Grand Prix.
• Four points: Expire 5th July 2026. These were awarded for crashing under red flag conditions on pit lane entry in FP3 at the 2025 British Grand Prix.
• Two points: Expire 7th September 2026. These were issued for causing a collision with Carlos Sainz during the 2025 Italian Grand Prix.
• One point: Expires 9th November 2026. This was awarded for driving in a manner deemed potentially dangerous during the 2025 Sao Paulo Grand Prix.
• One point: Expires 7th December 2026. This was awarded for more than one change of direction while defending in the 2025 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Lance Stroll – Six penalty points

• One point: Expires 23rd May 2026. This was awarded for a collision with Charles Leclerc in FP1 at the 2025 Monaco Grand Prix.
• Two points: Expire 15th June 2026. These were awarded for forcing Pierre Gasly off track during the 2025 Canadian Grand Prix.
• Two points: Expire 18th October 2026. These were awarded for causing a collision with Esteban Ocon during the 2025 United States Grand Prix Sprint.
• One point: Expires 7th December 2026. This was awarded for more than one change of direction while defending in the 2025 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Liam Lawson – Six penalty points

• One point: Expires 13th April 2026. This was awarded for causing a collision with Lance Stroll during the 2025 Bahrain Grand Prix.
• Two points: Expire 13th April 2026. These were awarded for causing a collision with Nico Hulkenberg during the 2025 Bahrain Grand Prix.
• One point: Expires 2nd May 2026. This was awarded for causing a collision with Fernando Alonso during the 2025 Miami Grand Prix.
• One point: Expires 9th November 2026. This was awarded for causing a collision with Oliver Bearman during the 2025 Sao Paulo Grand Prix Sprint.
• One point: Expires 7th December 2026. This was awarded for driving erratically while defending in the 2025 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

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Kimi Antonelli – Five penalty points

• Two points: Expire 29th June 2026. These were awarded for causing a collision with Max Verstappen during the 2025 Austrian Grand Prix.
• Two points: Expire 31st August 2026. These were awarded for causing a collision with Charles Leclerc during the 2025 Dutch Grand Prix.
• One point: Expires 7th September 2026. This was awarded for erratic driving during the 2025 Italian Grand Prix.

Oscar Piastri – Four penalty points

• Two points: Expire 6th July 2026. These were awarded for ‘erratic braking’ in Safety Car conditions at the 2025 British Grand Prix.
• Two points: Expire 9th November 2026. These were awarded for causing a collision with Kimi Antonelli and Charles Leclerc at the 2025 Sao Paulo Grand Prix.

Carlos Sainz – Four penalty points

• Two points: Expire 13th April 2026. These were awarded for forcing Kimi Antonelli off-track during the 2025 Bahrain Grand Prix.
• Two points: Expire 19th October 2026. These were awarded for causing a collision with Kimi Antonelli during the 2025 United States Grand Prix.

Alex Albon – Three penalty points

• Two points: Expire 21st September 2026. These were awarded for causing a collision with Franco Colapinto during the 2025 Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
• One point: Expires 23rd November 2026. This was awarded for a breach of Appendix L, Chapter IV, Article 2 d) of the FIA International Sporting Code, when making contact with Lewis Hamilton at the 2025 Las Vegas Grand Prix.

Lewis Hamilton – Three penalty points

• Two points: Expire 31st August 2026. These were awarded for failing to slow for yellow flags on a reconnaissance lap at the 2025 Dutch Grand Prix.
• One point: Expires 9th November 2026. This was awarded for causing a collision with Franco Colapinto during the 2025 Sao Paulo Grand Prix.

Max Verstappen – Three penalty points

• Three points: Expire 1st June 2026. These were awarded for causing a collision with George Russell during the 2025 Spanish Grand Prix.

Gabriel Bortoleto – Two penalty points

• Two points: Expire 23rd November 2026. These were awarded for causing a collision with Lance Stroll during the 2025 Las Vegas Grand Prix.

Pierre Gasly – Two penalty points

• Two points: Expire 3rd August 2026. These were awarded for causing a collision with Carlos Sainz during the 2025 Hungarian Grand Prix.

Franco Colapinto – One penalty point

• One point: Expires 29th June 2026. This was issued for forcing Oscar Piastri off-track during the 2025 Austrian Grand Prix.

Charles Leclerc – One penalty point

• One point: Expires 3rd August 2026. This was awarded for erratic driving during the 2025 Hungarian Grand Prix.

Esteban Ocon – One penalty point

• One point: Expires 7th September 2026. This was awarded for forcing Lance Stroll off track at the 2025 Italian Grand Prix.

Fernando Alonso – Zero penalty points

Valtteri Bottas – Zero penalty points

Isack Hadjar – Zero penalty points

Nico Hulkenberg – Zero penalty points

Arvid Lindblad – Zero penalty points

Lando Norris – Zero penalty points

Sergio Perez – Zero penalty points

George Russell – Zero penalty points

Inactive F1 drivers with unexpired penalty points

Yuki Tsunoda – Eight penalty points

• Two points: Expire 14th June 2026. These were awarded for overtaking under red flag conditions in 2025 Canadian Grand Prix qualifying.
• Two points: Expire 29th June 2026. These were awarded for causing a collision with Franco Colapinto at the 2025 Austrian Grand Prix.
• One point: Expires 6th July 2026. This was awarded for causing a collision with Oliver Bearman at the 2025 British Grand Prix.
• Two points: Expire 9th November 2026. These were awarded for causing a collision with Lance Stroll during the 2025 Sao Paulo Grand Prix.
• One point: Expires 7th December 2026. This was awarded for more than one change of direction while defending in the 2025 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

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