F1 penalty points heading into the 2025 season: 5 biggest delinquents

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The F1 Penalty points system has been pivotal in helping keep the driving standards under check. The entire system was first put in place in 2014 due to an absence of a concrete methodology to tackle and manage driving standards.

With drivers like Romain Grosjean and Pastor Maldonado making it a habit of getting into skirmishes, a system had to be put in place to keep the drivers in check.

As part of the system, the points are given on the basis of the severity of the transgressions. If a driver reaches 12 points, he’s getting banned from a race. Since the inception of this system, Kevin Magnussen is the only driver to have faced a ban. It was imposed because the Danish driver reached 12 F1 penalty points over 12 months.

As the sport gets ready for the 2025 F1 season, who are the top 5 delinquents of penalty points? Let’s take a look.

F1 Penalty Points: Who is close to a ban?

#5 Esteban Ocon

Penalty Points: 3

Ocon has received three F1 penalty points in the last 12 months.

  • Two points: Causing a collision with Pierre Gasly at the Monaco GP (expires on May 27, 2025)
  • One point: Unsafe release during the Miami GP (expires on May 4, 2025)

#4 Nico Hulkenberg

Penalty Points: 4

Hulkenberg has four F1 penalty points.

  • Two points: Causing a collision with Yuki Tsunoda at the 2024 Italian Grand Prix (expire on September 1, 2025)
  • Two points: Causing a collision with Fernando Alonso during the 2024 Austrian GP Sprint (expire on June 29, 2025)

#3 Valtteri Bottas

Penalty Points: 5

Bottas accrued a massive five F1 penalty points at Abu Dhabi.

  • Two points: Causing a collision with Sergio Perez at the 2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix (expire on December 12, 2025)
  • Three points: Causing a collision with Kevin Magnussen at the 2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix (expire on December 12, 2025)

#2 Fernando Alonso

Penalty Points: 8

Alonso has collected eight F1 penalty points, including two for his divebomb on Zhou Guanyu at the 2024 Austrian GP, which also led to a 10-second penalty.

  • Two points: Causing a collision with Zhou Guanyu at the F1 Austrian GP (expire on June 30, 2025)
  • Three points: Pushing Carlos Sainz off the track at the F1 Chinese GP Sprint (expire on April 20, 2025)
  • Three points: “Potentially dangerous driving” against George Russell at the Australian GP (expire on March 24, 2025)

#1 Max Verstappen

Penalty Points: 8

Verstappen has eight penalty points now, with the driver accruing two more for his collision with Oscar Piastri.

  • One point: Driving too slow in cooldown lap in the 2024 F1 Qatar GP (expires on December 1, 2025)
  • One point: VSC infringement in the 2024 F1 Brazilian GP Sprint (expires on November 2, 2025)
  • Two points: Forcing Lando Norris off track during the 2024 F1 Mexican GP (expire on October 28, 2025)
  • Two points: Causing a collision with Norris at the 2024 F1 Austrian GP (expire on June 30, 2025)
  • Two points: Causing a collision with Oscar Piastri at the 2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix (expire on December 12, 2025)