FIA superlicence penalty points: What they are and how many each 2025 F1 driver has

Over the course of this weekend’s Miami Grand Prix, stewards dished out all manner of punishments to drivers who broke the rules. Time penalties were handed out for unsafe releases in the pitlane, reprimands were given for driving in a dangerous condition and penalty points were awarded to a select few drivers. But what are these penalty points?

The FIA superlicence penalty points were brought in as a way of monitoring the behaviour of drivers over the course of a Formula 1 season.

The points are given to drivers for unsafe practices on track, and remain recorded on their superlicence for 12 months. If a driver picks up 12 or more points in a 12-month period, they are banned from Formula 1 for a single race.

Danish racer Kevin Magnussen was the last F1 driver to receive a race ban after he amassed 12 penalty points ahead of the 2024 Azerbaijan Grand Prix. He subsequently sat out the race and was replaced at Haas by Oliver Bearman for the grand prix.

Are any other drivers on the current grid at risk of befalling a similar fate?

Max Verstappen – eight points

Red Bull ace Max Verstappen is leading for the number of penalty points right now, having picked up eight since the 2024 Austrian Grand Prix. He was subsequently handed further penalties at races in Mexico, Brazil, Qatar and Abu Dhabi.

Verstappen’s oldest points were handed out for causing a collision after the Red Bull driver crashed with the Mclaren of Lando Norris in last year’s Austrian Grand Prix. He picked up a further two points four months later when F1 raced in Mexico. On that occasion, the Dutch racer was found to have forced Norris off track while the McLaren racer attempted an overtake around the outside of Turn 4.

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing RB20

Photo by: Red Bull Content Pool

A week later, Verstappen was penalised for driving too quickly under virtual safety car conditions, which earned him his fifth point. The opposite issue befell Verstappen in Qatar, however, as he was handed a penalty point for driving unnecessarily slowly during his cooldown lap in qualifying for the grand prix.

The final points to land on Verstappen’s licence came in the 2024 season finale in Abu Dhabi. During the grand prix, the Red Bull driver collided with McLaren’s Oscar Piastri while attempting an audacious overtake down the inside of Turn 1. The two cars came together, and the stewards placed the blame on Verstappen as he “never got far enough alongside.”

Liam Lawson – six points

Liam Lawson entered his 16th race this weekend and subsequently picked up his sixth superlicense penalty point. The Racing Bulls driver collected his first point at the 2024 Qatar Grand Prix, and his most recent penalty came during the Miami GP sprint.

Each of the New Zealander’s six penalty points were handed out for causing a collision. Lawson picked up two in Qatar after the stewards ruled that he was at fault for a crash with Valtteri Bottas on Turn 1 of the grand prix.

Earlier in the 2025 season, Lawson was reprimanded once again and picked up his third point after crashing with the rear of Lance Stroll’s Aston Martin. Just 15 minutes later, Lawson attempted to dive down the inside of Turn 1 for a pass on Nico Hulkenberg but crashed with the Sauber driver in the process. Stewards looking into the crash put the blame squarely on Lawson and gave him an additional two points.

Lawson’s sixth point came in Miami as a result of a collision with Fernando Alonso during the sprint race. The Kiwi attempted an overtake on the Aston Martin driver into Turn 11, but the pair came together and the crash ended the Spaniard’s race.

Oscar Piastri – four points

The current Formula 1 championship leader, Oscar Piastri, has just four points on his licence, having picked up his first two during last year’s race in Brazil. The young Australian was handed a further two penalty points at the season finale in Abu Dhabi.

Oscar Piastri, McLaren F1 Team, Tom Stallard, Race Engineer, McLaren F1 Team, on the grid

Photo by: Steven Tee / Motorsport Images

Piastri picked up two penalty points and a 10-second time penalty during the race in Brazil after attempting an inside pass on Liam Lawson that resulted in the Australian hitting the Kiwi at Turn 1, and stewards concluded that he was “wholly at fault for the collision.”

A month later, Piastri was once again in the stewards’ bad books after tangling with Williams driver Franco Colapinto. During the final race of the season, Piastri reportedly “misjudged the cars in front” and braked too late on the approach to Turn 6 at Yas Marina. As such, he ran into the back of Colapinto who, ultimately, retired from the race.

Nico Hulkenberg – four points

Sauber driver Nico Hulkenberg also has four points on his superlicence, following breaches in Austria and Italy during the 2024 season.

The German’s first points were dished out in the sprint race after he was found to have forced Aston Martin driver Fernando Alonso off track. The decision was reached after Hulkenberg attempted a pass on Alonso into Turn 3, but locked up and missed the apex of the corner. The then-Haas driver understeered and ran wide, which stopped Alonso from making the corner and forced him off the race track.

When Formula 1 returned to Monza a few months later, Hulkenberg earned another two points and a 10-second time penalty following a similar lock up. The German locked his wheels into Turn 1 at the Italian track and collided with Yuki Tsunoda, which ended the Japanese driver’s race.

Jack Doohan – four points

Alpine rookie Jack Doohan has almost as many penalty points as he has race starts, currently sitting at four points over his six grand prix starts. Doohan’s four points were picked up during two incidents over this year’s Chinese Grand Prix weekend.

Doohan’s first points in F1 were handed out in the sprint race, where he was found to be at fault for a crash with Sauber driver Gabriel Bortoleto. The pair came together at Turn 14 when Doohan attempted an overtake but locked up and understeered into the Sauber, which earned him a 10-second penalty and the points on his licence.

The next day, Doohan was handed the same penalty after he was found to have lost control and locked up while attempting to pass Racing Bulls driver Isack Hadjar at Turn 14.

Lando Norris – three points

McLaren driver Lando Norris picked all three of his penalty points up during a single incident, making it the harshest penalty handed out to any driver on the current grid.

The points were issued to Norris at the 2024 Qatar Grand Prix where he failed to slow down while double waved yellow flags were showing on track. Stewards reviewed marshalling system data, video, timing and telemetry to conclude that Norris hadn’t reduced his speed when the flags were brought out as a result of debris on track. As well as the three points, Norris was given a 10-second time penalty during the race.

Esteban Ocon – two points

French racer Esteban Ocon currently has two points to his name, both of which were handed out during last year’s Monaco Grand Prix.

Esteban Ocon, Alpine A524

Photo by: Alpine

The Haas driver, who was then racing with Alpine, was found to be at fault for a collision with his team-mate Pierre Gasly in the principality. The two came together in the opening lap, and while Gasly went on to score points in Monaco the incident ended Ocon’s race.

Carlos Sainz – two points

Williams racer Carlos Sainz has two penalty points on his superlicece, which were both a result of an incident at the 2025 Bahrain Grand Prix. During the race, the Spaniard was found to have forced Mercedes driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli off the track.

Stewards concluded that Sainz had locked up on the approach to Turn 10 in Bahrain, which resulted in him understeering “towards Car 12, missing the apex and forcing Car 12 off the track.” Sainz was handed two penalty points and a 10-second time penalty as a result.

Oliver Bearman – two points

After illness struck down Haas racer Kevin Magnussen, Oliver Bearman got another early outing for Haas last year, and duly picked up his first to superlicence penalty points in the process.

During the 2024 Brazilian Grand Prix, Bearman came together with Williams driver Franco Colapinto. The Haas driver hit the rear of Colapinto’s car and was found to be “wholly” at fault by the stewards. As such, he was issued two penalty points and a 10-second penalty in the race.

Alexander Albon – two points

Williams racer Alex Albon earned his two penalty points during last year’s Qatar Grand Prix. The Thai driver was found by the stewards to have caused a collision with the Haas of Kevin Magnussen. The Turn 1 crash occurred after Albon oversteered around the corner and attempted to correct his mistake. The fix didn’t stick, and Albon collided with Magnussen in an incident that he said was “my fault” following the grand prix.

Fernando Alonso – two points

Veteran racer Fernando Alonso has had a very quiet few months, amassing just two points during last year’s Austrian Grand prix and picking up no additional points in the ensuing 18 grands prix.

Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin AMR24

Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images

Way back in June last year, Alonso was racing against Sauber driver Zhou Guanyu around the Red Bull Ring. The Spaniard attempted a “very late overtake” down the inside of Turn 3 and “never got in a position to have the right to the line,” stewards concluded.

The pair collided on the corner, and Alonso was found to be at fault for the incident, which earned him two penalty points and a 10-second time penalty.

Lance Stroll – two points

Alonso’s team-mate at Aston Martin, Lance Stroll, also has two penalty points on his superlicence. The Canadian driver was handed the points during the 2024 Qatar Grand Prix, where he was found to be at fault for a crash involving Alex Albon. Stroll mounted the kerb at Turn 4, which unsettled his car and resulted in him hitting the side of Albon’s Williams.

George Russell – one point

Aside from the seven drivers who don’t have a penalty point just yet, Mercedes driver George Russell has the fewest points on his superlicence right now.

Russell was penalised in the 2024 Qatar Grand Prix for failing to maintain the correct distance behind the safety car. In the race, Russell fell more than 125 metres back from the safety car, which the stewards deemed was more than the 20-car-length minimum that racers should follow. As a result, he was given a five-second penalty and one point was added to his superlicence.

F1 driver penalty points