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Max Verstappen nears ban as F1 penalty points show which drivers are also in dangerMax Verstappen was hit with three penalty points for causing a collision with George Russell at the Spanish
Grand Prix, leaving him one point away from a ban, but who else is at risk of a suspension?CommentsSportChris Burns Senior Sports Writer12:42, 04 Jun 2025Max Verstappen could face a
one-race ban if he steps out of line again(Image: Getty) Max Verstappen is on thin ice and faces a potential one-race ban if he racks up another penalty point in either of the upcoming
Grands Prix in Canada or Austria. The 27-year-old Dutchman caused quite a stir at the Spanish Grand Prix last weekend, appearing to deliberately collide with Mercedes' George Russell.
The reckless move earned him three more points on his FIA super licence, bringing Verstappen's total for the year to 11. Formula 1 drivers face a suspension if they amass 12 penalty points
on their licence within a 12-month span.
However, these points do expire a year after they're issued. Penalties range from causing crashes to driving too slowly, and the severity of the offence determines the number of points
docked.
With current Drivers Championship leader Oscar Piastri and his McLaren teammate Lando Norris also collecting points over the past year, let's take a look at each driver's standing, their
accumulated penalty points, and how close they are to a ban.
Max Verstappen - 11 2024 Austrian Grand Prix: Verstappen bagged two points for a collision with Norris. These points will be wiped off on June 30, 2025.
2024 Mexico City Grand Prix: He picked up another two points in Mexico for forcing Norris off the track. These will be removed on October 27, 2025.
Article continues below 2024 Brazilian Grand Prix Sprint: The Dutchman was slapped with a point for falling short of the minimum virtual safety car delta time. This will be wiped off on
November 1, 2025.
Max Verstappen's clash with Russell in Spain cost him dearly(Image: 2025 Getty Images) 2024 Qatar Grand Prix: He was given another point for driving unnecessarily slowly during a cooldown
lap in qualifying. This will be cleared on December 1, 2025.
2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix: The Red Bull ace was hit with two more points for causing a collision with Oscar Piastri. These will be removed on December 8, 2025.
2025 Spanish Grand Prix: His latest run-in with Russell has cost him an additional three points. These will be erased on June 1, 2026.
Verdict: With just one point to spare, Verstappen now needs to keep his record clean until at least June 30, reports the Mirror.
Liam Lawson - Six 2024 Qatar Grand Prix: Racing Bulls star Lawson was penalised with two points in Qatar for causing a crash with Valtteri Bottas. These will be removed on December 1, 2025.
2025 Bahrain Grand Prix: A tussle with Lance Stroll resulted in him being docked a point. This will be wiped off on April 13, 2026.
Liam Lawson has six points on his FIA super-licence(Image: AFP via Getty Images) 2025 Bahrain Grand Prix: A clash with Nico Hulkenberg saw him pick up another two points in Bahrain. These
will be erased on April 13, 2026.
2025 Miami Grand Prix: Another collision, this time with Fernando Alonso, saw Lawson lose a point. This will be cleared on May 2, 2026.
Verdict: With his first points not expiring until December, Lawson needs to tread carefully to avoid hitting the 12-point mark.
Nico Hulkenberg - Four 2024 Austrian Grand Prix Sprint: The Sauber driver was penalised with two points for a tangle with Alonso in Austria. These will be wiped off on June 30, 2025.
2024 Italian Grand Prix: A run-in with Yuki Tsunoda on the circuit resulted in another two points. These will be removed on September 1, 2025.
Verdict: The German ace seems to be in the clear with just four points and his first two set to expire at the end of June.
Oscar Piastri - Four 2024 Brazilian Grand Prix: Two points were dished out to the McLaren star for a collision with Lawson. These will be erased on November 2, 2025.
Oscar Piastri leads the standings but does have four points to his name(Image: Formula 1 via Getty Images) 2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix: A near miss with Franco Colapinto cost him another two
points. These will be cleared on December 8, 2025.
Verdict: Piastri will need to exercise some caution from now until November to dodge the risk of accumulating more points and facing a ban.
Oliver Bearman - Four 2024 Brazilian Grand Prix: Haas' Bearman clipped Franco Colapinto in Brazil and was awarded two points for his efforts. These will be cancelled on November 2, 2025.
2025 Monaco Grand Prix: Passing Carlos Sainz under a red flag in FP2 resulted in another two points. These will be nullified on May 23, 2026.
Verdict: Bearman will also need to tread carefully until November, when his first two points are due to expire.
Lando Norris - Three 2024 Qatar Grand Prix: McLaren's Norris was hit with three points for failing to slow down for double yellow flags in Qatar. These will be annulled on December 1, 2025.
Verdict: With nine more points needed before December to trigger a ban, Norris must keep his driving in check. However, with no points so far this year, it's likely he'll steer clear of such
a penalty.
Norris took a points hit in Qatar back in November of last year(Image: Getty Images)Lance Stroll - Three 2024 Qatar Grand Prix: A bump with Alex Albon saw Aston Martin's Stroll slapped with
two points. These will be wiped off on December 1, 2025.
2025 Monaco Grand Prix: A scrape with Charles Leclerc in FP1 landed him two more. These will be removed on May 23, 2026.
Verdict: Stroll needs to keep clean, at least until December, when his first points are due to expire.
Carlos Sainz - Two 2025 Bahrain Grand Prix: Williams' Sainz forced Andrea Kimi Antonelli off the track and bagged two points. These will be erased on 13 April, 2026.
Verdict: Sainz seems safe, as long as he doesn't accumulate 10 points by next April.
Fernando Alonso - Two 2024 Austrian Grand Prix: A tussle with Zhou Guanyu resulted in the Spanish Aston Martin driver being hit with two points. These will disappear on 30 June, 2025.
Verdict: Alonso appears to be in the clear with his two points set to vanish at the end of the month.
Alex Albon - Two 2024 Qatar Grand Prix: Albon of Williams was given two points for a crash with Kevin Magnussen. These will be wiped on December 1, 2025.
Verdict: Albon should be out of the woods regarding any ban threat as long as he keeps up his good record in 2025.
George Russell has just the one point to his name(Image: Getty)Franco Colapinto - Two 2024 Mexico City Grand Prix: The Alpine driver was hit with two penalty points after a collision with
Lawson. These will be wiped off his record on October 27, 2025.
Verdict: Colapinto has until October to keep his nose clean and avoid racking up more points.
George Russell - One 2024 Qatar Grand Prix: The Mercedes ace earned a single penalty point for failing to keep a 10 car-length gap behind the Safety Car. This will be removed from his tally
on December 1, 2025.
Verdict: Russell hasn't picked up any points in 2025 yet, making a race to 12 points, and a subsequent ban, unlikely.
Article continues below Drivers who've managed to steer clear of any penalty points so far include Antonelli, Gabriel Bortoleto, Pierre Gasly, Isack Hadjar, Lewis Hamilton, Leclerc, Esteban
Ocon and Tsunoda.