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F1 2025 Penalty Points: Major Shake-Up After Late FIA Review
The Formula 1 penalty points standings have seen significant changes following a delayed ruling from the FIA, with Carlos Sainz cleared of wrongdoing and Ollie Bearman now standing on the brink of a potential race ban.
Two weeks after the Dutch Grand Prix, the FIA issued a surprising update regarding the controversial collision between Carlos Sainz and Liam Lawson. Initially, Sainz was hit with a 10-second time penalty along with two penalty points on his super licence. However, following a successful appeal lodged by Williams, the governing body reviewed the incident in detail and eventually overturned the punishment. As a result, Sainz’s record has been wiped clean of the two points, giving the Ferrari driver some breathing room in the penalty standings.
But while Sainz sees his tally reduced, others have found themselves in far more precarious positions. The driver now closest to serving a suspension is Ollie Bearman, who endured a turbulent weekend at the Italian Grand Prix. The Haas rookie was found responsible for a heavy collision with Sainz and received both a major time penalty and two penalty points. This takes his total up to 10 points — just two shy of the automatic ban that comes into force once a driver accumulates 12 points within a 12-month period.
Bearman’s situation is especially dangerous given the timing of his previous offences. His earliest penalty points will not expire until November 2, meaning he must survive the next four Grands Prix without adding to his tally. Even a minor incident could tip him over the threshold and force him to sit out a race, a fate no F1 driver has faced in recent seasons.
The shake-up has also altered the spotlight on Max Verstappen, who had been regarded as the most at-risk driver earlier in the year. The reigning World Champion currently sits on nine penalty points, collected across various incidents, the most recent being at the Spanish Grand Prix. While he avoided any new infractions at Monza, Verstappen remains only three points away from a ban, meaning his aggressive driving style will come under continued scrutiny as the season progresses.
Elsewhere in the field, other drivers also picked up points at Monza. Kimi Antonelli, driving for Mercedes in his rookie campaign, received one penalty point alongside a five-second time penalty for erratic driving. That takes the young Italian’s running total to five points across the rolling 12-month period — not immediately critical, but enough to place him under watch if further mistakes occur.
Meanwhile, Esteban Ocon collected his first penalty point of the season after forcing Lance Stroll off track during a wheel-to-wheel battle at the Italian Grand Prix. Though far from the danger zone, the Alpine driver will need to tread carefully to avoid building up a problematic record later in the season.
The FIA’s penalty points system, introduced in 2014, is designed to encourage safer and more responsible driving. Points remain on a driver’s licence for 12 months from the date of the offence. If a driver reaches 12 points, they automatically receive a one-race suspension. Though the system has frequently left drivers on edge, no Formula 1 driver has yet reached the ban threshold since its introduction.
For now, the spotlight firmly rests on Bearman and Verstappen. Bearman, just one step from an enforced absence, faces enormous pressure to keep his record clean over the coming races, while Verstappen knows that another penalty could throw a serious spanner into his championship campaign.
As the 2025 season heads into its decisive stages, the FIA’s late adjustments have reshaped the stakes — making the battle for discipline just as intense as the fight for points on track.
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