Formula 1 penalty points 2026: The current overview of penalties

(Motorsport-Total.com) – Penalty points – so-called “Penalty-Points” – play an important role in Formula 1 today. In addition to on-track sanctions, drivers can also be penalized with points for infringements – similar to the traffic register in Flensburg. And just like “normal” drivers, Formula 1 drivers also have to watch out if they have exceeded a certain limit.

Read more Formula 1 penalty points 2026: The current overview of penalties

How many points can you have?
The rule is: If you accumulate twelve points within one year, you will be suspended for one race.

The system was introduced a few years ago to set a visible and defined limit for repeat offenders. In 2012, Lotus driver Romain Grosjean was suspended for one race: he had committed several offenses during the season, and the serious accident in the first corner of Spa-Francorchamps was the last straw.

Drivers accumulate points for various actions. This can range from on-track collisions, to cutting corners, to ignoring flag signals. Since its introduction, only one driver has reached twelve points: Kevin Magnussen in 2024.

You can find an up-to-date overview in our Formula 1 penalty points table.

Article A3.3.1 b) of the regulations states: “Where a penalty other than a warning or a fine is imposed in accordance with the ISC or Article B1.10.4, the Stewards may award penalty points on an F1 driver’s Super Licence.”

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“If an F1 driver has accumulated 12 penalty points on his Super Licence, he will be suspended for the next competition, after which the 12 points will be removed from his Super Licence. Such penalty points will remain on the F1 driver’s Super Licence for a period of 12 months and will be removed on the 12-month anniversary of their imposition.”

The exact overview of individual penalty points:

In addition to penalty points, warnings – so-called reprimands – can also become an issue and lead to a penalty.

This is the case according to Article B1.10.4 f) of the Formula 1 regulations if a driver accumulates five warnings within the same season. This results in a ten-place grid penalty. Should the infringement occur during a race, the penalty applies to the next event in which the driver participates.

However, there is one condition: four of the five warnings must have been issued for a driving infringement (“Driving”). At the end of the season, all warnings are cleared.

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