F1's penalty points system was first implemented to help improve driving standards in the series. As part of the system, drivers are penalized for on-track infractions. These can be anything from causing a collision, dangerous driving, etc. The number of points for a transgression depends on the seriousness of the act.
These points remain with the driver for a period of 12 months before expiry. If a driver ends up accumulating more than 12 F1 penalty points in a 12-month period, they are banned for one race.
As part of the current system, only one driver has broken F1's 12 penalty points mark. it was Kevin Magnussen last season, and the Danish driver had to sit out the race in Baku. As we prepare for F1's Mexican GP, how do the drivers compare in terms of penalty points? Let's take a look.
F1 penalty points ahead of Mexico GP
#1. Lando Norris
Penalty points: 3
Lando Norris has three F1 penalty points to his name which will expire in December.
Three points: Ignore yellow flags at F1 Qatar GP 2024 (expires 1 December 2025)
#2. Oscar Piastri
Penalty points: 6
Oscar Piastri He almost had a few during the Austrian GP when he locked his teammate's tires. He currently has six penalty points.
Two points: Erratic braking in front of Max Verstappen before a restart (expires 6 July 2026)
Two points: Causing a collision with Franco Colapinto at the 2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix (expires 8 December 2025)
Two points: Causing a collision with Liam Lawson at the 2024 Brazilian GP (expires 2 November 2025)
#3. Charles Leclerc
Penalty points: 1
Ferrari's leading driver was charged a penalty point for erratic driving while trying to defend himself George Russell in Hungary
One point: Erratic driving while defending against George Russell at F1 Hungarian GP (expires 3 August 2026)
#4. Lewis Hamilton
Penalty points: 2
The seven-time F1 champion was handed two penalty points for failing to slow down under yellow flags during a reconnaissance lap ahead of the 2025 Dutch Grand Prix.
Two points: for not slowing down under yellow flags during a reconnaissance lap before the 2025 Dutch Grand Prix (expires 31 August 2026)
#5. Max Verstappen
Penalty points: 9
Max Verstappen it is nine F1 penalty points, three short of the 12-point threshold.
Three points: Causing a collision with George Russell during the 2025 F1 Spanish GP (expires 1 June 2026)
Two points: Causing a collision with Oscar Piastri at the 2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix (expires 8 December 2025)
One point: driving unnecessarily slowly in F1 Qatar GP 2024 qualifying (expires 1 December 2025)
One point: VSC infringement at F1 2024 Brazilian GP Sprint (expires 1 November 2025)
Two points: Force Lando Norris off the track during the 2024 F1 Mexican GP (expires October 27, 2025)
#6. Yuki Tsunoda
Penalty points: 5
Yuki Tsunoda has received a penalty for causing a collision with Oliver Bearman during the UK GP and is five F1 penalty points ahead of the summer break.
One point: Causing a collision with Ollie Bearman during the 2025 F1 British GP (expires 6 July 2026)
Two points: Causing a collision with Franco Colapinto during the 2025 F1 Austrian GP (expires June 29, 2026)
Two Points: Advance Under Red Flag Conditions to 2025 F1 Canadian GP (Expires June 14, 2026)
Charanjot is an F1 writer and content specialist at Sportskeeda with over 5 years of experience covering sports related news, trends and analysis.
He started watching F1 when Narain Karthikeyan made his F1 debut in 2005 and was hooked when Kimi Raikkonen did an impressive lap in Monaco the same season. He has been with the company for nearly 4 years and does his best to make the most of his links to the F1 paddock to report relevant and accurate information.
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If given the opportunity, he would like to see the Buddh International Circuit of India re-added to the calendar. A mechanical engineer and MBA, Charanjot aims to lead the cause of making F1 a mainstream sport in India. Apart from F1, he also follows MotoGP, cricket and MMA.