P1racenews AI automatic summary:
F1 2026 penalty points: Which driver has the most? Who is closest to a race ban?
Penalty points in Formula 1 pose the risk of drivers potentially facing a race ban if they accumulate too many.
Since 2014, F1 stewards have been assigning penalty points to drivers in addition to penalties on their super license.
Drivers who amass 12 penalty points within a year will receive a ban for a race.
In 2024, Kevin Magnussen became the first driver to be banned from an F1 grand prix after reaching the 12-point threshold at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
Penalty points help maintain discipline among F1 drivers, much like traffic rules for regular road users.
Stewards use their discretion to apply penalty points based on the seriousness of the incidents.
The points expire a year after being issued, requiring drivers to remain compliant to avoid bans.
