How many penalty points do F1 drivers have in 2024 and when do they expire?

What are driver penalty points?

The F1 penalty point system is in place to try and control driver behaviour and minimise racing incidents.  

Similar to a regular driving licence, if a driver is given 12 penalty points on their superlicence over a 12-month period, they will be punished with a one-race ban. If a driver receives a ban, then the points will be removed from a driver's superlicence when they return.  

The superlicence is a mandatory requirement for any F1 driver to compete and is awarded by the FIA. The superlicence was first introduced in the early 1990s, with penalty points brought in in 2014.  

Any points given to drivers expire 12 months after they were awarded.  

Here are all the penalty points that were handed out to drivers in 2023 and when they will expire:  

F1 superlicence penalty points 

Here’s the drivers who have received penalty points during the 2024 Formula 1 season: 

Kevin Magnussen – Ten Points 

Kevin Magnussen is now topping the list of most penalty points on his licence after doubling his score at the Miami Grand Prix. The Haas driver started the year on a clean slate and after just six races is just two points away from an automatic race ban. 

Magnussen was awarded three points on his superlicence at the 2024 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix after managing to keep a clean record during the 2023 season. The Dane was awarded his points for an impact with Alex Albon, where the FIA deemed Magnussen responsible.  

During an eventful race the Haas driver was awarded two separate time penalties, including one for the collision with Albon and for leaving the track and gaining an advantage. With his race ruined, Magnussen then was able to pull off a defensive race which kept many drivers – including Albon – behind him, to create a pitstop window for his team-mate Nico Hulkenberg, resulting in the German finishing within the points. 

Magnussen picked up a further two points at the Chinese Grand Prix during the safety car restart. The Danish driver suffered from a snap of oversteer which resulted in him making contact with the right rear tyre of Yuki Tsunoda’s RB.  

Tsunoda spun before being forced to retire from the race, with Haas team principal Ayao Komatsu saying: "If anything, I think more Tsunoda's [fault]. Honestly, he didn't turn into Tsunoda or anything. He's dived inside, hit the apex, had a snap, but [it] didn't change the car direction. He didn't then run Tsunoda off the track.” 

Magnussen picked up five penalty points over the Miami Grand Prix weekend, doubling his previous tally. The first three points were awarded following the Sprint race after an intense battle with Lewis Hamilton which saw him run off the track on multiple occasions as he attempted to defend against the Mercedes from catching his team-mate Nico Hulkenberg. 

The FIA ruled that he had gained an advantage and was given three penalty points on top of 35 seconds of time penalties. Magnussen surprised many when he confessed to Sky Sports F1: “All the penalties were well deserved – no doubt about it” before adding: “I started using these stupid tactics which I don’t like doing, but at the end of the day I did my job as a team player.” 

An additional two points were then awarded to the Dane during the main grand prix after he was found “wholly to blame” for a collision with Logan Sargeant. The pair came together at Turn 3, which resulted in the Williams ending up in the barrier and causing the lap-29 safety car.  

Logan Sargeant - Eight points  

Logan Sargeant managed to obtain six points on his superlicence in his rookie year, and received his first two penalty points for causing a collision with Valtteri Bottas at the Italian Grand Prix. The Alfa Romeo driver had successfully overtaken the Williams on Turn 1 of lap 43, but Sargeant then attempted to come back at Bottas into the second chicane. The American pulled inside of the Finnish driver, where he then locked up and went into the Alfa Romeo sidepod. 

Sargeant then received two more penalty points for colliding, again, with Valtteri Bottas at the Japanese Grand Prix. The pair clashed on lap five at Suzuka’s hairpin when Sargeant hit the Alfa Romeo’s right-rear tyre as he tried to overtake him on the outside of the corner. Both cars attempted to carry on but, with terminal damage, the Alfa Romeo and Williams were both retired from the race. 

Esteban Ocon, Alpine A524, Alex Albon, Williams FW46, Logan Sargeant, Williams FW46

Photo by: Steven Tee / Motorsport Images

Sargeant’s final two penalty points came during qualifying for the Mexican Grand Prix after he was deemed by stewards to have overtaken Yuki Tsunoda during yellow flags conditions. The Williams driver had said he had seen a green panel before overtaking the slow-moving AlphaTauri, but stewards noted: “Overtaking can only occur after passing the green panel or flag. It was also noted that he did not make a sufficient reduction in speed.” 

The American has received two penalty points on his superlicence so far in the 2024 season after being deemed to have overtaken Nico Hulkenberg whilst under safety car conditions at the Chinese Grand Prix. The Haas had emerged from the pitlane and was side-by-side with Sargeant heading into Turn 1, but the American came around the outside of Hulkenberg, taking the position from the German.  

After a review by the stewards, it was deemed the Haas was slightly ahead at the safety car line in the pit exit and the Williams driver was served a penalty. The Williams driver called the decision a “bit of a joke” before telling Autosport: “We were under safety car for ages, I don't know why they didn't just tell me to give the position back. Obviously, I would've done so, had they said, but to my knowledge, I thought I was way ahead.” 

Sergio Perez - Eight points

Red Bull’s Sergio Perez started the season with the most penalty points on the 2024 F1 grid and has added a singular point to his record this year. Perez was awarded one penalty point at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix for an unsafe release in the pitlane, which caused a close call with Fernando Alonso.

The Mexican driver admitted that it was “actually my mistake” but agreed the penalty was the correct decision. This means that Perez is just four points away from the 12-point punishment, which is a full race ban. 

Sergio Perez, Red Bull Racing RB19, spins during Qualifying

Photo by: Michael Potts / Motorsport Images

Sergio Perez was given seven points during the 2023 season, with four of those coming at the 2023 Japanese Grand Prix. The Red Bull driver’s first penalty point came at the Singapore Grand Prix on 17 September, when he caused a collision with Alex Albon. Perez managed to finish in eighth place after a contact with the British-Thai driver on the Turn 13 left-hander. 

Albon was deflected off-line, having to then brake hard, which resulted in a lock-up of his tyres as he tried to avoid hitting the wall. Both drivers were summoned to the race stewards, who decided that Albon had attempted to take the normal racing line through the corner but was unaware of the precise location of Perez. They also concluded that the Mexican’s move up the inside was considered to be an “optimistic late manoeuvre” and he was predominately to blame for the collision. 

Perez was then awarded four points at the 2023 Japanese Grand Prix the following week for two separate incidents. The first two penalty points were awarded after he passed Fernando Alonso under safety car conditions following a Lap 1 collision between himself, Carlos Sainz and Lewis Hamilton. Perez managed to limp his car back to the pits but in the process overtook the Aston Martin. 

The Red Bull driver was handed a five-second penalty for the incident, which he served 10 laps later during a pitstop. He rejoined the race behind Haas’ Kevin Magnussen but attempted an unsuccessful overtake on the hairpin. Red Bull retired Perez’s car to repair the damage, however, later in the race the car was then sent back out to serve another five-second penalty before being retired for good on lap 43. The crash with Kevin Magnussen also resulted in two more superlicence penalty points for Sergio Perez. 

Perez’s final two penalty points were given to him at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix after causing a collision with Lando Norris. During an intense battle for fourth place, the Red Bull attempted to drive up the inside of the McLaren during the Turn 6-7 chicane. However, a correction by the Mexican resulted in him crashing into the front-left wheel of the British driver, forcing Norris to go wide. Perez finished the race in second place but after being hit with a five-second penalty, dropped to fourth. 

Fernando Alonso – Eight points 

Fernando Alonso was the third driver to have been given superlicence penalty points in the 2024 season. The Aston Martin driver had managed a clean 2023 but has accrued eight points from the 2024 Australian, Chinese and Austrian grands prix.  

Alonso first three points came at this year’s Australian Grand Prix for a dangerous maneuver which resulted in George Russell crashing out of the race.  

The Mercedes driver was in seventh place behind the Spaniard with just two laps to go before he crashed at Turns 6 & 7, ending up on his side in the middle of the track. Following the race the FIA stewards decided that he had altered his driving style in an “extraordinary way”, adding: “he drove in a manner that was at very least ‘potentially dangerous’ given the very high-speed nature of that point of the track.” 

He then received further points during the first Sprint race of the year in Shanghai after a tight battle with Carlos Sainz for third place. The pair collided at Turn 9, which resulted in Alonso suffering from a puncture and his car being retired from the race.  

Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin AMR24

Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images

The Spaniard was awarded three points after stewards deemed him responsible and that he had the opportunity to avoid the collision. He was also awarded a 10 second time penalty, which was added to his elapsed Sprint time. 

Alonso’s latest points came at the Austrian GP following a crash with Zhou Guanyu. The Sauber driver had just left the pits when he was overtaken by Yuki Tsunoda at turn three. Joining the pair was Alonso, who locked a front wheel as he turned into the corner, causing him to drive into the side of Zhou. Alongside two points on his superlicence, Alonso was also awarded a 10-second time penalty, which saw him finish 18th. 

Lance Stroll - Seven points

Lance Stroll was awarded two penalty points at the Chinese Grand Prix to add to his previous five points from 2023. The Canadian said he felt the punishment was a “joke” after driving into the back of Daniel Ricciardo whilst following the safety car.

The FIA decided that Stroll should have anticipated the pace of the cars ahead as they went into penultimate corner and that he should have “prepared to break accordingly”. The damage ultimately ended the race for Ricciardo and resulted in damage Oscar Piastri’s McLaren, as he was ahead of the RB.

Stroll was given five penalty points during the 2023 season, with his first two points awarded after a collision with Pierre Gasly at the British Grand Prix. A previous manoeuvre earlier in the race between the pair had left the Alpine driver “extremely confused” that the Aston Martin driver had not been punished for gaining the advantage off track. Gasly was able to reclaim the position back later in the race, however on lap 48 Stroll attempted an overtake on Vale corner, which resulted in a collision.

The crash left the Alpine with damage, which saw Gasly retired from the race. Stroll was then awarded a five-second penalty and two points on his superlicence after stewards determined that Gasly was “entitled to the line at the exit” and that the Aston Martin driver was responsible for the collision.

Stroll was then awarded three penalty points at the Las Vegas Grand Prix for overtaking under yellow flag conditions during FP3. Stroll overtook Carlos Sainz as double yellow flags were being waved, after Albon collided with the barriers. The Aston Martin driver then claimed he had his “head down” and looking at his dash, but it was decided by the stewards that he could have done more to avoid the incident. 

Lewis Hamilton - Four points

Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton obtained four penalty points no his superlicence during the 2023 season. His first two points were awarded after causing a collision with Red Bull’s Sergio Perez at the Belgian Grand Prix. The pair were wheel to wheel during Turns 14 and 15 before Hamilton’s car punctured Perez’s side pod. The Red Bull was forced to retire after being passed by multiple other cars and ending up in the gravel following the incident.  

Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes F1 W15

Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images

Hamilton was then awarded a further two penalty points at the Italian Grand Prix for causing a collision with Oscar Piastri. The pair came together at the second chicane, which forced the McLaren to pit for a new front wing. Hamilton was quick to apologise to Piastri and take full blame for the accident but was awarded a five-second penalty and two points on his superlicence. 

Max Verstappen - Four points 

Max Verstappen was awarded two penalty points on his superlicence for forcing Charles Leclerc off the track at the start of the Las Vegas GP. 

The incident occurred during Turn 1 when the Red Bull pulled alongside the Ferrari as they entered the hairpin. Verstappen ran Leclerc off the edge of the track, with the pair arguing that their front axles were ahead at the apex. Stewards decided that the Red Bull was at fault before awarding the Dutch driver a five-second penalty and two points on his superlicence. 

Verstappen claimed his first points of 2024 at the Austrian GP after an intense battle with McLaren’s Lando Norris. The pair had been fighting over first place for multiple laps before coming together on Lap 64.  

Norris had made multiple calls that the Dutchman had been moving under braking whilst defending the lead, before one final move saw the pair come together. Both the McLaren and the Red Bull suffered from tyre punctures, with the British driver being forced to retire his MCL38.  

On top of two penalty points on his licence, Verstappen was also awarded a 10-second time penalty, but with such a gap to Nico Hulkenberg in sixth, the Red Bull driver was still able to claim fifth place. 

Esteban Ocon – Three points 

Esteban Ocon was awarded one superlicence point and a 10-second penalty following a pitlane incident ahead of the Miami GP Sprint race. The French driver was deemed to have been unsafely released from his garage which resulted in a collision with Charles Leclerc and saw the Alpine need a new front wing. 

Ocon called the incident a “stupid mistake” before saying there had been a “clear misunderstanding between myself and the mechanic”. The FIA ruled that video footage had shown the mechanic had told the Alpine to stop but he still exited the garage and into the path of the Ferrari.  

Pierre Gasly, Alpine A524, Esteban Ocon, Alpine A524, Lance Stroll, Aston Martin AMR24, the remainder of the field at the start

Photo by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images

He has been given a further two penalty points at the Monaco GP after crashing into his Alpine team-mate Pierre Gasly during the first lap. The Frenchman dived down the inside of Gasly heading into Portier, where their tyres came together, resulting in Ocon being sent into the air.  

Ocon came out from the incident with gearbox and suspension damage and was forced to retire from the race.  

Yuki Tsunoda - Two Points

Yuki Tsunoda was given two penalty points for causing a collision with George Russell at the Dutch Grand Prix. The pair came together at Turn 1, which caused damage to the Mercedes’ tyres. Russell revealed at the end of the race that the collision had led to “massive vibrations” in the car. 

Zhou Guanyu - Two points

Zhou Guanyu was awarded two penalty points at the Hungarian Grand Prix for causing a collision with Daniel Ricciardo. The Chinese driver had a slow getaway at the very start of the race before he crashed into the back of the AlphaTauri, who was braking for Turn 1.

This forced Ricciardo into Estaban Ocon and Pierre Gasly, which saw both Alpine cars retired. Zhou suffered front wing damage and finished the race in 16th, just ahead of three retired cars and Kevin Magnussen in 17th. Stewards ruled that the Alfa Romeo driver “simply did not slow down enough when approaching the corner, resulting in an unnecessary collision”. 

Valtteri Bottas - Two points

Valtteri Bottas was given two penalty points on his superlicence for causing a collision with Lance Stroll at the Mexican Grand Prix. The pair went wheel to wheel on lap 67 as Stroll looked to overtake Bottas for 13th place. The Aston Martin and Alfa Romeo then made contact at the penultimate corner, which sent Stroll spinning. The Canadian was then forced to retire his car from the race. 

George Russell has just two points remaining on his superlicence, from an incident that occured in 2023. The Brit received the penalty after causing a collision with Max Verstappen at the Las Vegas Grand Prix. The two cars made contact on lap 25 after Verstappen went for an inside overtake on Turn 12.  

There was minor damage to both cars, which resulted in a safety car due to the debris on the track. Stewards decided that Verstappen had “a significant portion of the car alongside” during the corner and that Russell was at fault for the collision. Despite the damage, both cars were able to finish the race with Max Verstappen claiming another victory. 

Daniel Ricciardo – Two points

Daniel Ricciardo was awarded two penalty points on his superlicence after overtaking Nico Hulkenberg under Safety Car conditions at the Chinese Grand Prix. The Australian argued that the Haas driver had overtaken him before the restart and Ricciardo believed he was allowed to reclaim the position. 

Despite the argument from the RB driver, the FIA believed Hulkenberg’s move was permitted under Article 55.8, which states that a driver is allowed to perform an overtake "if any car slows with an obvious problem'. 

It was decided that Ricciardo was still suffering from the shunt by Lance Stroll and that reclaiming the position under the safety car conditions the following lap was not allowed. Ricciardo was given a 10-second time penalty which was imposed at the Miami GP after he was forced to retire in Shanghai. 

Carlos Sainz – One point 

Carlos Sainz had a clean sheet on his superlicence for just two races before gaining a singular point at the Miami Grand Prix. Sainz was found responsible for a collision with Oscar Piastri, which resulted in the McLaren picking up front wing damage.   

Carlos Sainz, Ferrari SF-24, Oscar Piastri, McLaren MCL38

Photo by: Andy Hone / Motorsport Images

Piastri was then forced to pit for a new front wing, seeing the Australian drop from 4th to 13th and out of the points.  

Both drivers were called to a hearing following the race where it was deemed that Sainz was to blame. The FIA also decided that the Spaniard slightly lost the rear of his car and the collision would “likely not have happened” otherwise, which meant that the Ferrari was not given the standard 10-second penalty and two penalty points. 

Driver's penalty points in 2024  

Here are how many penalty points each driver has in 2024: