By 
Formula 1 stewards have lost their taste for issuing penalty points in 2026.
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Until the end of last year they dished out penalty points regularly enough for drivers to fear reaching the 12-point threshold which triggers an automatic ban.
Kevin Magnussen became the only driver to actually incur a ban, in 2024. Max Verstappen flirted with the limit last year, reaching 11, though some were sceptical about whether F1 would ever dare tell a reigning world champion, least of all one as popular as Verstappen, to stay home.
Verstappen stayed out of trouble and the crisis passed. But too many careless mistakes by Oliver Bearman left him in danger of collecting a ban as the new season began.
Fortunately for Bearman and his rivals, the stewards have issued far fewer penalty points so far this year. Over the first 12 rounds they have awarded penalty points for just seven incidents compared to 17 over the same period last year (prior to last weekend’s race at Zandvoort there had only been three).
As the list of penalties below shows, this is because the stewards are no longer giving drivers penalty points for causing collisions with other drivers or forcing them off the track. This is a significant change: out of the 11 penalty points Verstappen collected by last year’s Spanish Grand Prix, nine were for incidents with other drivers.
The only penalty points issued this year have been for drivers failing to observe yellow flags or similar. Is this a change for the better?
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Penalty points issued over the first 12 grands prix of 2025
| Date | Events | Session | Driver name | Infringement | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 22/3/2025 | Chinese Grand Prix | Sprint race | Jack Doohan | ‘Collision between car 7 and car 5 in turn 14.’ | 2 |
| 23/3/2025 | Chinese Grand Prix | Grand prix | Jack Doohan | ‘Forcing another driver off the track in turn 14.’ | 2 |
| 13/4/2025 | Bahrain Grand Prix | Grand prix | Liam Lawson | ‘Car 30 collided with Car 18 in turn 2.’ | 1 |
| 13/4/2025 | Bahrain Grand Prix | Grand prix | Liam Lawson | ‘Car 30 collided with car 27 in turn 1.’ | 2 |
| 13/4/2025 | Bahrain Grand Prix | Grand prix | Carlos Sainz Jnr | ‘Car 55 forced Car 12 off the track at turn 10.’ | 2 |
| 3/5/2025 | Miami Grand Prix | Qualifying | Liam Lawson | ‘Car 30 collided with Car 14 in Turn 12.’ | 1 |
| 23/5/2025 | Monaco Grand Prix | Second practice | Lance Stroll | ‘Collision between Car 18 and Car 16 at Turn 6.’ | 1 |
| 23/5/2025 | Monaco Grand Prix | Qualifying | Oliver Bearman | ‘Car 87 overtook Car 55 under red flag.’ | 2 |
| 1/6/2025 | Spanish Grand Prix | Grand prix | Max Verstappen | ‘Car 1 collided with Car 63 at turn 5.’ | 3 |
| 14/6/2025 | Canadian Grand Prix | Third practice | Yuki Tsunoda | ‘Car 22 overtook Car 81 under red flag’ | 2 |
| 15/6/2025 | Canadian Grand Prix | Grand prix | Lance Stroll | ‘Forcing another driver off of the track’ | 2 |
| 29/6/2025 | Austrian Grand Prix | Grand prix | Andrea Kimi Antonelli | ‘Car 12 caused a collision with Car 1 in Turn 3’ | 2 |
| 29/6/2025 | Austrian Grand Prix | Grand prix | Yuki Tsunoda | ‘Causing a collision with Car 43 in Turn 4.’ | 2 |
| 29/6/2025 | Austrian Grand Prix | Grand prix | Franco Colapinto | ‘Car 43 forcing Car 81 off of the track between Turns 3 and 4.’ | 1 |
| 5/7/2025 | British Grand Prix | Third practice | Oliver Bearman | ‘Failure to comply with a red flag’ | 4 |
| 6/7/2025 | British Grand Prix | Grand prix | Oscar Piastri | ‘Erratic braking on the straight before T15 when the Safety Car lights were’ | 2 |
| 6/7/2025 | British Grand Prix | Grand prix | Yuki Tsunoda | ‘Car 22 collided with Car 87 in Turn 6.’ | 1 |
Penalty points issued over the first 12 grands prix of 2026
| Date | Events | Session | Driver name | Infringement | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14/6/2026 | Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix | Grand prix | Franco Colapinto | Car 43 failed to slow for a single yellow flag | 1 |
| 5/7/2026 | British Grand Prix | Grand prix | Carlos Sainz Jnr | Car 55 overtook the Safety Car after the LAPPED CARS MAY NOW OVERTAKE | 1 |
| 25/7/2026 | Hungarian Grand Prix | Qualifying | Andrea Kimi Antonelli | ‘The driver of Car 12 did not slow sufficiently under single yellow flags at Turn 14.’ | 1 |
| 23/8/2026 | Dutch Grand Prix | Grand prix | Arvid Lindblad | Car 41 overtook Car 10 in a double yellow flag sector | 2 |
| 23/8/2026 | Dutch Grand Prix | Grand prix | Liam Lawson | Failure to slow for a single yellow flag in Turn 3. | 1 |
| 23/8/2026 | Dutch Grand Prix | Grand prix | Franco Colapinto | Car 43 overtook Car 22 in a double yellow flag sector | 2 |
| 23/8/2026 | Dutch Grand Prix | Grand prix | Franco Colapinto | Failure to slow for a single yellow flag in Turn 3. | 1 |
For
Drivers already receive penalties for incidents with their rivals. Penalty points were a needless addition on top of that, which only served to discourage drivers from racing.
Against
Issuing penalty points for incidents gave drivers an added disincentive to commit reckless or cynical moves. This change makes the penalty points system largely irrelevant.
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I say
This is a significant change to the penalty points system, which lessens the possibility a driver might receive a ban. That is not necessarily a bad thing.
However the stewards need to show they are prepared to issue serious penalties for significant breaches. That hasn’t been the case in the past, but nor have we seen an especially egregious move from a driver this year which might deserve one.
If the stewards are going to issue more robust penalties to drivers who, for example, intentionally collide with their rivals, then I have no problem with this change.
You say
Is Formula 1 right to stop issuing penalty points for incidents between drivers? Cast your vote below and have your say in the comments.
Do you agree Formula 1 is right to stop issuing penalty points for incidents between drivers?
- No opinion (5%, 1 Votes)
- Strongly disagree (0%, 0 Votes)
- Slightly disagree (10%, 2 Votes)
- Neither agree nor disagree (15%, 3 Votes)
- Slightly agree (45%, 9 Votes)
- Strongly agree (25%, 5 Votes)
Total Voters: 20
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