Analysis: Which F1 drivers have the most penalty points as the 2025 season starts

Last season saw the first time a Formula 1 driver was banned from a race for reaching the threshold of 12 penalty points.

Kevin Magnussen had the unwelcome distinction of being the first driver to be forced out for a race under the regulations introduced over a decade earlier, in 2014.

As the new season begins, two drivers are in the most obvious danger of suffering Magnussen’s fate. With an influx of inexperienced racers joining the grid, and the 2025 F1 calendar featuring a record-equalling 24 rounds, will everyone keep a clean sheet this year?

Current drivers with penalty points

Max Verstappen: 8

Not only does Max Verstappen have the joint-highest penalty points total of any driver, he incurred most of them at the end of last season. That means none will be removed from his licence over the first 11 races.

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Fernando Alonso: 8

Just three incidents last year were enough to move Fernando Alonso two-thirds of the way towards an automatic ban. However he is in a better position than Verstappen, as Alonso will drop the last of his current points on the day Verstappen strikes out the first of his.

Lance Stroll: 4

Aston Martin’s drivers have the highest combined penalty points total.

Oscar Piastri: 4

Oscar Piastri largely stayed out of trouble until the final races of last season.

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Nico Hulkenberg: 4

Nico Hulkenberg brings four penalty points with him from Haas to Sauber.

Lando Norris: 3

The driver who won the final race of last year only incurred penalty points once during the season, though it was for a significant error.

Esteban Ocon: 3

Drivers ordinarily do not receive penalty points for ‘unsafe release’ incidents, but Esteban Ocon did in Miami last year after the stewards ruled he was partly responsible for colliding with Charles Leclerc as they left the pits ahead of the sprint race.

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Alexander Albon: 2

Alexander Albon’s pair of penalty points will remain on his licence for most of the year.

Oliver Bearman: 2

Oliver Bearman only started three grands prix last year but managed to pick up a couple of points for tangling with Franco Colapinto.

Liam Lawson: 2

Another driver who did not do the full season last year, Liam Lawson at least has far fewer penalty points than his new team mate.

George Russell: 1

George Russell almost kept a clean sheet last year, but slipped up behind the Safety Car at the penultimate round.

Carlos Sainz Jnr: 1

New Williams driver Carlos Sainz Jnr should drop to zero penalty points early in May if he avoids any further incidents between now and then.

Current drivers with no penalty points

Eight drivers head into the new seasons with clean licences. Of those, three have never started a grand prix before.

Among those with a clean licence is Pierre Gasly, who came close to reaching 12 penalty points in early 2023. Alpine is one of two teams whose drivers have no penalty points: New Ferrari team mates Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc are also on zero.

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• Lewis Hamilton
• Charles Leclerc
• Pierre Gasly
• Yuki Tsunoda
• Jack Doohan
• Andrea Kimi Antonelli*
• Gabriel Bortoleto*
• Isack Hadjar*

*No prior grand prix starts

Former drivers with penalty points

These drivers no longer have F1 seats, but should they return this year they already have penalty points on their licences:

Valtteri Bottas: 5

Daniel Ricciardo: 3

Franco Colapinto: 2

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Logan Sargeant: 2

Sergio Perez: 1

Kevin Magnussen: 0

Kevin Magnussen has no penalty points on his licence. However, he served a one-race ban last season after reaching 12 penalty points, which were cleared from his licence when he returned.

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