During a Formula 1 race, stewards have the authority to penalize drivers for breaching regulations through time penalties, fines, and reprimands, or by issuing penalty points that accumulate on their superlicence. The penalty points system was established to enforce and monitor driver behavior throughout a season, with accumulation of 12 points in 12 months resulting in a one-race ban. Kevin Magnussen of Haas was the last driver to receive a race ban due to exceeding the penalty points threshold before the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
One current driver at risk of facing a race ban is Max Verstappen, who has accumulated eight penalty points from incidents like causing collisions and driving too fast under virtual safety car conditions since the 2024 Austrian Grand Prix. Verstappen was penalized for a collision with Lando Norris in Austria, forcing Norris off track in Mexico, driving too slowly in Qatar, and colliding with Oscar Piastri in Abu Dhabi.
Another driver potentially facing a race ban is Liam Lawson, with five penalty points despite participating in only 15 races so far. All of Lawson’s points were due to causing collisions with other drivers, with incidents occurring at the Qatar and Bahrain Grand Prix events.
