Max Verstappen, the reigning F1 world champion, faces a critical situation regarding penalty points starting from the Canadian Grand Prix this weekend. The controversial events of the previous race in Spain have left him in a precarious position for the next two events.
At the Spanish Grand Prix, Verstappen received a 10-second time penalty and also had three penalty points added to his F1 super licence for colliding with George Russell. The time penalty significantly impacted his race result, dropping him from fifth to tenth and costing him nine points in the championship standings. The penalty points add further consequences.
These three additional points are particularly significant as they bring Verstappen`s total to 11 points over the past 12 months. This leaves him just one point shy of the 12-point threshold that triggers an automatic one-race ban according to Formula 1 regulations.
Penalty points remain on a driver`s super licence for a year before expiring. However, Verstappen`s first points are not due to expire until June 30th. This crucial date falls *after* both the upcoming races in Montreal (this weekend) and Austria (two weeks later).
Addressing the risky situation for his top driver over the next two races, Red Bull team principal Christian Horner commented, “You can never guarantee anything.”
Horner added that Verstappen must “just keep his nose clean in the next couple of races” before his first points expire at the end of June.
While Verstappen managed to avoid penalties in the first eight races of the season and has a history of clean streaks, Red Bull is confident he can navigate this period. However, the rapid accumulation of 11 points in less than a year means he has minimal margin for error or even slight misjudgments in on-track battles over the coming weeks.
Explaining F1`s penalty points system
The F1 penalty points system was implemented in 2014 to discourage drivers from repeatedly causing incidents on track.
Stewards at Grands Prix have various sanctions available for on-track rule breaches, including time penalties, grid penalties, and disqualifications. Additionally, they can apply penalty points (one, two, or three depending on the severity) to a driver`s super licence.
A super licence is required for all drivers competing in Grand Prix weekends, and this is where penalty points are recorded.
The system is similar to road driving licences, where accumulating 12 points within a rolling 12-month period leads to a ban. In F1, reaching 12 points results in an automatic one-race suspension.
F1 drivers` current penalty points
| 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 |
The official Sporting Regulations state: `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.`
How has Verstappen collected his 11 points?
- June 30, 2023 – 2 points – Causing a collision with Lando Norris in the Austrian GP
- October 27, 2023 – 2 points – Forcing Lando Norris off the track at the Mexico City GP
- November 2, 2023 – 1 point – Driving too fast under a Virtual Safety Car in the Sao Paulo Sprint
- November 30, 2023 – 1 point – Driving unnecessarily slowly and impeding George Russell in Qatar GP qualifying
- December 8, 2023 – 2 points – Causing a collision with Oscar Piastri in the Abu Dhabi GP
- June 1, 2024 – 3 points – Causing a collision with George Russell in the Spanish GP
Verstappen`s initial two points from the 2023 Austrian GP collision with Norris will be removed on June 30th, marking one year since the incident. However, the subsequent two points from the Mexico City race will remain until late October. This means that even if he avoids penalties in Canada and Austria, Verstappen will still have nine points on his licence for the following nine races.
What kind of incidents can trigger a single penalty point?
Stewards can assign between one and three penalty points for rule breaches. While there isn`t a public list mapping incidents to point values, eleven years of precedents provide a general understanding.
As previously mentioned, Verstappen has received single penalty points twice in the last year: for exceeding the speed limit under a Virtual Safety Car in the Sao Paulo Sprint and for driving too slowly and obstructing George Russell during qualifying in Qatar.
Interestingly, George Russell also received his single current point during the same Qatar weekend for failing to maintain the required 10 car-length distance behind the Safety Car.
Collisions can also result in one penalty point, as seen with Liam Lawson in Bahrain and Miami. Such penalties are not limited to races; Lance Stroll received a point in Monaco practice for colliding with Charles Leclerc.
Another example is Esteban Ocon, who got one point in Miami last year for an unsafe release from the pit lane, colliding with Leclerc on the way to the Sprint grid.
Has anyone reached the 12-point limit before?
Although several drivers had come close, Kevin Magnussen became the first driver to reach the 12-point limit last season after a collision with Pierre Gasly at the Italian Grand Prix. Consequently, the Haas driver was banned from the following race in Azerbaijan, with Oliver Bearman filling in.
Before the penalty points system, Romain Grosjean was the last driver to be suspended (Belgian GP 2012) after causing a multi-car crash. He had also been involved in previous incidents that season.
Other historical bans before the current system include Michael Schumacher (two races), Eddie Irvine (three), and Mika Hakkinen (one), all in 1994, and Nigel Mansell in 1989.
Where would Red Bull turn if Verstappen missed a race?
Red Bull is optimistic that Verstappen can avoid further penalties in Canada and Austria.
However, if a ban were triggered, Red Bull would likely call upon one of the two drivers from their sister team, Racing Bulls – either Isack Hadjar or Liam Lawson – to replace Verstappen for one weekend alongside Yuki Tsunoda.
Such a move would, in turn, create a temporary vacancy at the Racing Bulls team.
Red Bull has other potential options. Japan`s Ayumu Iwasa, 23, is a more experienced backup who has participated in Friday practice sessions for both teams. British 17-year-old F2 front-runner Arvid Lindblad is also now eligible after receiving a super licence exemption from the FIA ahead of his 18th birthday.
Marcus Prine