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 super licence 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 super licence when they return.  

The super licence is a mandatory requirement for any F1 driver to compete and is awarded by the FIA. The super licence 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:  

                     

 

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

Photo by: Steven Tee / Motorsport Images

                     

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.

 

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 super licence 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. 

   

Points	Where	Expiry date	Reason
One	Singapore Grand Prix	17 September 2024	Causing a collision with Alex Albon
Two	Japanese Grand Prix	24 September 2024	Overtaking Fernando Alonso under safety car conditions
Two	Japanese Grand Prix	24 September 2024	Causing a collision with Kevin Magnussen
Two	Abu Dhabi Grand Prix	26 November 2024	Causing a collision with Lando Norris
One

 

Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin AMR24

Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images

                 

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. 

Points	Where	Expiry date	Reason
Two	British Grand Prix	9 July 2024	Collision with Pierre Gasly
Three	Las Vegas Grand Prix	17 November 2024	Overtaking under yellow flag conditions
Two	Chinese Grand Prix	21 April 2025	Causing a collision with Daniel Ricciardo

Lewis Hamilton - Four points

Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton obtained four penalty points no his super licence 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 super licence. 

Points	Where	Expiry date	Reason
Two	Belgian Grand Prix	29 July 2024	Causing a collision with Sergio Perez
Two	Italian Grand Prix	3 September 2024	Causing a collision with Oscar Piastri

             

 

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

             

 

Points	Where	Expiry date	Reason
Two	Dutch Grand Prix	27 August 2024	Causing a collision with George Russell

         

Valtteri Bottas - Two points

Valtteri Bottas was given two penalty points on his super licence 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. 

Points	Where	Expiry date	Reason
Two	Mexican Grand Prix	29 October 2024	Causing a collision with Lance Stroll

          

         

 

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

Photo by: Andy Hone / Motorsport Images

         

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

Yuki Tsunoda

2

27 August 2024

 

2024-02-08T11:25:58Z dg43tfdfdgfd