Several F1 drivers have quite a few penalty points to their name, putting them at risk of a race ban if they have a few more incidents
Formula 1′s penalty points system is designed to keep the drivers’ behavior on track in check, much like that of a normal road user trying to avoid getting points on their driver’s license. In F1, penalty points are issued for driver transgressions, with the amount varying depending on the severity of the incident. If a driver accumulates 12 points throughout 12 months, the driver will incur a one-race ban.
Penalty points are handed to drivers if they do something that the FIA considers to be dangerous. This could be causing a collision, ignoring yellow flags, or even driving too fast under the safety car. When a driver receives a penalty point, they remain on their license for a year before expiring.
Which F1 drivers have to be careful over the remainder of this year?
F1 Drivers’ Championship leader Max Verstappen is one of the joint leaders of the unenviable points table, with the reigning World Champion on seven points. However, all of these points are set to expire over the remainder of this season, which means it is Pierre Gasly and Lance Stroll who need to watch their backs to a greater extent due to their most recent penalties.
With three drivers on seven points, there is also a trio on six – one of whom has only returned to the grid this year. The drivers on six points include – Fernando Alonso, Alex Albon, and Yuki Tsunoda.
At the other end of the table, Ferrari boasts the cleanest drivers at present – neither Charles Leclerc nor Carlos Sainz has any points, while Haas’ Mick Schumacher has also kept his nose clean.
F1 Penalty Points sky-rocketed at last weekend’s Austrian GP
A total of six drivers were hit with penalty points by the FIA across the Austrian Grand Prix weekend while a variety of other punishments were also dished out.
Track limits were a constant topic of discussion across the weekend at the Red Bull Ring. Although drivers were allowed to leave the track twice before being shown the black and white ‘last-warning’ flag, Zhou Guanyu, Sebastian Vettel, Lando Norris, and Pierre Gasly were all penalized for a further infringement with one point and a five-second penalty. For Norris and Vettel, these errors are the first blemish on their license this year.
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