FIA reveals F1’s 2025 racing and penalty points guidelines in full

The FIA has given new insight into how Formula 1 stewards make decisions by publishing its current guidelines and penalties in full.

The latest guidelines came into force between the end of last season and the start of the 2025 championship.

The governing body of motor sport introduced the guidelines following a series of controversial incidents during 2021. The original set of guidelines was revealed by RaceFans in April 2022 but the FIA has not published subsequent revisions until now.

FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem said stewards had previously been subjected to “extreme and wholly unwarranted criticism” for their decisions. He believes publishing the guidelines, which are not part of the rule book, will lead to more informed discussion of F1 penalty calls.

“To demonstrate the rigour with which [stewards] pursue their role, we are today publishing the Penalty and Driving Standards Guidelines that assist them with their decisions,” said Ben Sulayem. “This will give fans and members of the media a much deeper and more accurate insight into how decisions are made in Formula 1.

“The Penalty Guidelines have been a core tool for almost a decade while the Driving Standards Guidelines introduced in 2022 and constantly updated have brought the most important voices, those of the drivers, to the table to create a genuine reference for certain racing situations.”

The latest edition of the guidelines was created following discussion between FIA representatives and drivers at last year’s Qatar Grand Prix. Among the incidents drivers are understood to have raised at the meeting was a fight for position between Max Verstappen and Lando Norris at the United States Grand Prix.

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This prompted one revision to the guidelines for 2025, which states that a driver will be entitled to be given room by a rival when overtaking on the outside of a corner if it has “its front axle ahead of the front axle of the other car at the apex.” This guideline became a bone of contention at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix earlier this year when Verstappen was given a time penalty for overtaking Oscar Piastri off the track, having claimed his rival forced him off. The stewards referred to the updated guideline in their decision.

FIA driving standards guidelines v4.1

Published February 20, 2025

These are GUIDELINES and NOT REGULATIONS

Many incidents require subjective judgement, and the Stewards are guided by the experience of their Driver Stewards in combination with these guidelines and the FIA Regulations.

If it has been established from points A and B below, that an overtaking driver has priority, it is the responsibility of the defending driver to avoid a collision or forcing off the overtaking driver.

Attention is also drawn to the important note in Point F on page 3, for defending drivers who leave the track whilst defending a position.

A. Overtaking on the INSIDE of a corner:

To be entitled to be given room when overtaking on the INSIDE, the overtaking car must:

i) Have its front axle AT LEAST ALONGSIDE THE MIRROR of the other car PRIOR TO AND AT THE APEX
ii) Be driven in a fully controlled manner particularly from entry to apex, and not have “dived in”.
iii) In the Stewards’ estimation, have taken a reasonable racing line and been able to complete the move whilst remaining within track limits.

B. Overtaking on the OUTSIDE of a corner:

Overtaking on the outside will always be viewed as a more difficult manoeuvre to accomplish.

To be entitled to be given room, including at the exit, when overtaking on the OUTSIDE, the overtaking car must:

i) Have its front axle AHEAD OF THE FRONT AXLE of the other car AT THE APEX.
ii) Be driven in a controlled manner from entry, to apex, and to exit.
iii) Be able to make the corner within track limits.

C. Chicanes and S-Bends:

i) The above guides for INSIDE and OUTSIDE may apply for each element of the combination. Generally, priority will be given to the first corner element.

IMPORTANT NOTES

All Stewards’ decisions will be made following the rules, especially, the F1 Sporting Regulations (“F1SR”), the FIA International Sporting Code (“ISC”), and Appendix L Chapter IV (The Code of Driving Conduct on Circuits.)
Racing is a dynamic process. Although these guidelines indicate specific relative positions of the cars at various points, the Stewards will always look at how the situation played out in total when reviewing an incident. For example:
i) How did the cars get to the incident? (E.g. late braking, diving in, moving under braking.)
ii) Was the manoeuvre late or “optimistic”?
iii) What could the drivers reasonably see, know, or anticipate?
iv) Do we believe the manoeuvre could be completed on the track?
v) Was there understeer / oversteer / locking?
vi) Did someone position / handle their car in a way that contributed to the incident?
vii) Did the type of corner contribute to the incident? (e.g. camber, kerbs, curve, apexes)
viii) What were the relative tyres / tyre age / grip?

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D. Track Limits:

It is considered that respecting track limits is important for both, racing fairness and safety, thus Art. 33.3 of the F1SR will be strictly enforced:
“Drivers must make every reasonable effort to use the track at all times and may not leave the track without a justifiable reason.

Drivers will be judged to have left the track if no part of the car remains in contact with it and, for the avoidance of doubt, the white lines defining the track edges are considered to be part of the track, but the kerbs are not….”

Note(s):

In Free Practice, invalid lap times will only be deleted in circumstances where such FP classification may be needed to set the grid.
In the case of an infringement in Sprint Qualifying or Qualifying, the lap time will be deleted, and the time of the subsequent lap if it is deemed that there could be a benefit.

For the Sprint Session and Race, acknowledging that racing is a dynamic process, invalid lap times will be deleted and a “three strikes” system shall normally be applied prior to issuance of a Black & White Flag or penalty under Article 54.3 of the F1SR. For the avoidance of doubt any invalid lap will be deleted and counted as a “strike” with the following EXCEPTIONS:

1. If a driver exceeds track limits following an obvious loss of control.
2. If a driver exceeds track limits in order to avoid a collision e.g. Typical Lap 1, Turn 1 incident.
3. If a driver has been considered to be “forced off” by another car (in a decision of the stewards)
4. If a driver exceeds track limits and is penalised for gaining a lasting advantage or unsafe re-join.
5. If a driver exceeds track limits during an incident which is penalised for any other reason. E.g. if a driver exceeds track limits during an incident for which they are penalised for causing a collision.

E. Impeding:

Not only will Art. 37.5 of the F1SR be enforced, but drivers are reminded of Art. 33.4:
“At no time may a car be driven unnecessarily slowly, erratically or in a manner which could be deemed potentially dangerous to other drivers or any other person.”

F. Giving back a lasting advantage:

The Procedure in Art. 33.3 will be strictly applied:

“Should a car leave the track the driver may re-join, however, this may only be done when it is safe to do so and without gaining any lasting advantage. At the absolute discretion of the Race Director a driver may be given the opportunity to give back the whole of any advantage he gained by leaving the track.”
Note(s):

If, while defending a position, a car leaves the track (or cuts a chicane) and re-joins in the same position, it will generally be considered by the stewards as having gained a lasting advantage and therefore, generally, the position should be given back, as prescribed in the rules. It will be the sole discretion of the Stewards to determine if the driver of a car is “defending a position.”

G. Moving on the Straight:

Appendix L, Chapter IV, Article 2 states:

“More than one change of direction to defend a position is not permitted. Any driver moving back towards the racing line, having earlier defended his position off-line, should leave at least one car width between his own car and the edge of the track on the approach to the corner. “
“However, manoeuvres liable to hinder other drivers, such as deliberate crowding of a car beyond the edge of the track or any other abnormal change of direction, are strictly prohibited. Any driver who appears guilty of any of the above offences will be reported to the Stewards.”

Note(s):

In this context, moves intended to break the slipstream of a following car when the following car is a safe distance behind, considering relative speeds and position on the track, may be acceptable.

H. Moving under Braking:
When defending, there must be no change in direction by the defending car, after the deceleration phase has commenced, except to follow the racing line.

I. Re-joining the Track:

Maintaining racing speeds in the run-off area is not acceptable. Cars on track must not be forced to change speed or line to avoid a re-joining car.

J. Safety Car:

To avoid the likelihood of accidents before the Safety Car returns to the pits, Art. 55.14 will be enforced as shown below:
“In order to avoid the likelihood of accidents before the safety car returns to the pits, from the point at which the lights on the car are turned out drivers must proceed at a pace which involves no erratic acceleration or braking nor any manoeuvre which is likely to endanger other drivers or impede the restart”.

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Note(s):

The actions of the lead driver in particular can have a significant impact on the safety of the restart procedure. Although the leading driver has both the right to dictate pace as well as to choose the point at which to accelerate, this does not relieve them of their responsibility to avoid creating a potentially dangerous situation as defined in the Code Appendix L Ch IV 2(e).
APPENDIX 1: CONTEXT OF THESE GUIDELINES

In 2022, responding to requests from the Formula 1 drivers for clarity on how the F1 Stewards would interpret the rules in certain circumstances, it was agreed that a set of Driving Standards would be established which would act as GUIDELINES for investigation of incidents and application of any penalties. This worked successfully through 2022 and was slightly modified for 2023 following consultation with drivers and Teams.

A major update occurred immediately prior to the 2025 season following a meeting between the FIA Formula 1 Stewards and Drivers in Qatar in late 2024.

Meanwhile the FIA Drivers Commission commenced work to integrate the existing Formula 1 Driving Standards Guidelines into a comprehensive document that could apply to all circuit racing categories.
Of key importance to the FIA Drivers Commission is the desire to ensure that the younger drivers in lower categories are subjected to the same standards as will apply when they eventually graduate to the highest levels of the sport.

The core objectives of the FIA Drivers Commission, in the publication across all championships, of driving standards guidelines is to facilitate and promote:
• Safe racing
• Hard and competitive racing
• Fair racing
• Sporting justice
• Consistency across all categories
• Standardisation of driving standards and race direction operation across all categories.
Rationale

i) Overtaking should be incentivized and defending a position unfairly or dangerously is not acceptable.
ii) It is very important that junior drivers race with the same guidelines as F1. However, less tolerance should be applied because the risk of an accident is higher due to their lesser experience. Being stricter in applying the rules in lower formulas is essential for junior driver development.
iii) It is imperative to reiterate that the guidelines will be applied during the entirety of the event. The Race Director and Stewards will be available to clarify any questions that drivers and teams may have with regards to the guidelines.
iv) The Stewards and Driver Advisor will, if possible, always attend the drivers briefing.
v) Application of the guidelines should be enforced throughout the event, with particular attention to respect of yellow flags and track limits.
vi) Regarding track limits, the Stewards will always satisfy themselves that the infractions are clear. Drivers will be given the benefit of the doubt when the infraction is not clear.
vii) A Driver Steward or Driver Advisor should be appointed for each category or series [This is the case for Formula 1].

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FIA penalty guidelines

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Note 1: Penalties for a first offence in a two-year period, except in cases of misconduct towards officials (Article 12.2.1.l) or breach of ISC Article 12.2.1.n, may be reduced due to mitigations, which may include imposing a fully suspended penalty or, in exceptional circumstances, issuing a formal warning.
Note 2: Controlled Environments include, but are not limited to, media interviews, press conferences, and podium ceremonies. Non-Controlled Environments include, but are not limited to, radio transmissions between car and team, recordings made while on circuit. Alleged breaches of ISC Articles 12.2.1.f or 12.2.1.l that occur in “non-controlled” environments may be treated as private conversations, except where multiple breaches occur within a short period of time, involve racial or discriminatory language, or include abuse of officials.
Note 3: The fine of €5,000 may be reduced or increased based on the mitigating or aggravating circumstances described in Appendix B of the ISC, specifically Notes 4 and 5. Copied below for reference:
4. Mitigating circumstances can include, but are not limited to:
a. The status of the driver (e.g., unpaid amateur, rookie professional, or high-profile, long-standing professional driver);
b. The status or profile of the championship in which the offence occurred;
c. Personal circumstances relating to the alleged offender such as:
i. reaction to offensive, aggressive or abusive behaviour by another,
ii. in the case of ISC Art 12.2.1.p, a pre-advised medical condition verified by medical practitioner.
d. The alleged offender’s previous record of good behaviour.
5. Aggravating circumstance can include, but are not limited to:
a. Premeditated actions as determined by the Stewards.
b. Multiple offenses, especially if occurring within a short period of time.
The fine of €5,000 may be increased based multiples of 2 or 3 when the seriousness of the offence warrants a higher penalty.

Note 4 Table of Sporting Penalties:

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Note 5 Alternative penalties (instead of fines) may also be apply, such as requiring the driver to dedicate time to FIA promotional, awareness or educational activities at an event.

IMPORTANT NOTES:
1) PENALTY POINTS ARE NOT PERMITTED TO BE IMPOSED BY THE STEWARDS IF THE PENALTY IS A REPRIMAND OR A FINE.
2) *Denotes the Maximum Number of Penalty Points depending upon the severity of the infringement (Stewards’ Discretion)
3) Points expire after 12 months on the driver’s licence.
4) When a driver accumulates 12 points his licence will be suspended for the Event following the one during which he reached 12 points (or more).
5) After a one race suspension 12 points are taken off the driver’s licence.
6) The points indicated are intended to be the norm for a particular offence. The Stewards may vary these, taking into account mitigating or aggravating circumstances. However, the authority of the Stewards to increase the points assessed is intended to be used only in exceptional circumstances.
7) The penalties indicated represent the normal penalties that have historically been assessed in usual circumstances. It should be noted that the Stewards review each incident within its unique circumstances and reserve the right to assess the full range of penalties under the Code as appropriate.
8) In cases where there is a single 5s penalty which a driver is unable to serve due to retirement, the Stewards will not convert that into a grid penalty for a subsequent race. However, if there is more than one penalty, the Stewards may convert the 5s (and other) penalties into a grid penalty.
9) Penalties for infringements occurring whilst the pit lane is open prior to the start of the sprint session or race, and/or during reconnaissance laps undertaken prior to the sprint session or race will normally be considered using the guidelines provided for free practice.
10) Changes are indicated in PINK.

This article will be updated.

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