The upcoming Austrian Grand Prix is the final event where F1 world champion Max Verstappen will be on the verge of a race ban due to accumulated penalty points.
His recent contentious incident and collision with George Russell at the Spanish Grand Prix impacted his championship bid, but the more significant consequence was the addition of three penalty points to his F1 super licence.
This brought his total over the past year to 11 points, just one point shy of the 12 points that automatically trigger a one-race ban according to F1 regulations.
Penalty points remain on a driver`s licence for a year before expiring. Verstappen`s first points (from Austria last year) won`t be removed until June 30th, the Monday after this weekend`s Austrian Grand Prix.
Although he avoided penalties at the Canadian Grand Prix, Verstappen showed frustration when asked about the potential ban after qualifying second behind George Russell, who eventually won the race from him.
Following the Spanish race, Red Bull team principal Christian Horner commented on Verstappen`s precarious situation, stating, “You can never guarantee anything.”
Horner added, “He`s just got to keep his nose clean… then the first points come off at the end of June.”
Verstappen had avoided penalties in the first eight races this season before Spain and has had long clean streaks previously, so Red Bull trusts their four-time champion to handle the situation. However, his accumulated points over the last year mean there`s very little margin for error or even minor misjudgments in close racing at Spielberg.
Understanding F1`s Penalty Points System
F1 implemented the penalty points system in 2014 to discourage drivers from causing frequent incidents on track by penalizing rule violations.
Stewards can issue various sporting sanctions like time or grid penalties for on-track rule breaches where a driver is largely or entirely at fault. Additionally, they have the option to assign one, two, or three penalty points to the driver`s super licence.
A super licence is essential for all drivers participating in Grand Prix weekends, and it serves as the record for penalty points.
The system functions similarly to road driving licences; reaching 12 points within a rolling 12-month period results in a mandatory one-race ban.
| Driver | Points |
|---|---|
| Max Verstappen | 11 |
| Liam Lawson | 6 |
| Nico Hulkenberg | 4 |
| Oscar Piastri | 4 |
| Oliver Bearman | 4 |
| Lando Norris | 3 |
| Lance Stroll | 3 |
| Carlos Sainz | 2 |
| Fernando Alonso | 2 |
| Franco Colapinto | 2 |
| Alex Albon | 2 |
| George Russell | 1 |
| Eight drivers | 0 |
According to the Sporting Regulations:
“If a driver accrues twelve (12) penalty points his licence will be suspended for the following Competition, following which twelve (12) points will be removed from the licence.”
“Penalty points will remain on a driver`s Super Licence for a period of twelve (12) months after which they will be respectively removed on the twelve (12) month anniversary of their imposition.”
Verstappen`s 11 Penalty Points Explained
Here are the incidents that resulted in Max Verstappen accumulating his current 11 penalty points (dates listed are expiration dates):
- June 30, 2024 – 2 points: Causing a collision with Lando Norris at the Austrian GP (2023 incident)
- October 27, 2024 – 2 points: Forcing Lando Norris off the track at the Mexico City GP
- November 2, 2024 – 1 point: Driving too fast under a Virtual Safety Car in the Sao Paulo Sprint
- November 30, 2024 – 1 point: Driving unnecessarily slowly and impeding George Russell during Qatar GP qualifying
- December 8, 2024 – 2 points: Causing a collision with Oscar Piastri at the Abu Dhabi GP
- June 1, 2025 – 3 points: Causing a collision with George Russell at the Spanish GP (2024 incident)
Verstappen`s initial 2 points from the Austrian collision with Norris will expire on June 30th, but the subsequent 2 points from Mexico City last year will not be removed until the end of October.
This implies that even if he avoids gaining any points in Austria, Verstappen will remain on nine penalty points for the following nine Grands Prix.
What Types of Incidents Result in Penalty Points?
Stewards can assign one, two, or three penalty points depending on the severity of the track infringement, with three being for the most serious offenses.
The FIA recently released two guideline documents used by stewards for driving standards and penalties. While these documents have no regulatory value, and stewards make decisions independently based on applicable regulations, they suggest appropriate penalties for about 100 common infringements.
As noted earlier, Verstappen received single penalty points twice in the last year: once for speeding under a Virtual Safety Car in Brazil and again for driving too slowly and impeding Russell during Qatar GP qualifying.
Interestingly, George Russell also received his single point during that same Qatar weekend for not maintaining the required 10 car-length distance behind the Safety Car.
Collisions have also resulted in single penalty points recently, even outside of races, as seen with Liam Lawson in Bahrain and Miami.
At the recent Monaco GP, Lance Stroll of Aston Martin received one point for a collision with Charles Leclerc`s Ferrari during Friday practice.
Last year in Miami, Esteban Ocon received one penalty point for an unsafe pit-lane release when his Alpine collided with Leclerc`s car as they headed to the Sprint grid.
Past Drivers Reaching the Penalty Point Limit
Although many drivers have come close to accumulating 12 points since the system began in 2014, Kevin Magnussen was the first and only one to reach the limit last season after colliding with Pierre Gasly at the Italian Grand Prix.
This ban meant the then-Haas driver missed the next race in Azerbaijan, where Oliver Bearman substituted for him.
Before the formal penalty point system was in place, Romain Grosjean was the last driver banned from a Grand Prix (Belgian GP 2012) for causing a massive multi-car crash, having also been involved in previous incidents that year.
Earlier bans under different rules include Michael Schumacher (two races), Eddie Irvine (three), and Mika Hakkinen (one) in 1994 for various misdemeanors, and Nigel Mansell was barred from the 1989 Spanish GP.
Who Could Replace Verstappen if He`s Banned?
Naturally, Red Bull hopes Verstappen can avoid penalties in Austria as Christian Horner suggested, preventing this immediate and unwanted issue from materializing for the team.
However, if a one-off substitute for Verstappen were suddenly required, it would most likely be one of the two drivers who race for sister outfit Racing Bulls – Isack Hadjar or Liam Lawson. One would be called upon to fill in for a single weekend next to Yuki Tsunoda.
This change would, in turn, create a temporary opening at the Racing Bulls team to fill.
Ayumu Iwasa, 23, from Japan is Red Bull`s more experienced reserve driver, having participated in Friday practice sessions for both teams. British F2 front-runner Arvid Lindblad, 17, is also now a viable option, as the FIA recently granted a super licence exemption for him ahead of his 18th birthday, fulfilling Red Bull`s long-standing request.
Marcus Prine