F1 Penalty Points 2025: TWO drivers edge closer to ban… Read more

F1 Penalty Points 2025: TWO drivers edge closer to ban

 

By Hugo Harvey | October 20, 2025

 

After 19 dramatic rounds of the 2025 Formula 1 season, the championship remains wide open, with Max Verstappen, Oscar Piastri, and Lando Norris leading a tight title battle. However, amid the fight for the crown, another tension is building — the growing list of drivers nearing potential race bans due to accumulated penalty points.

 

At the United States Grand Prix in Austin, both Carlos Sainz and Lance Stroll were sanctioned for separate incidents, which added to their respective tallies. Sainz collided with Kimi Antonelli in the early stages of Sunday’s main race, forcing him to retire and earning him a five-place grid penalty for the upcoming Mexican Grand Prix. The Williams driver also received two penalty points on his FIA Super Licence for the incident.

 

Lance Stroll, meanwhile, was punished for an aggressive move on Esteban Ocon during the sprint race. The Aston Martin driver was handed a five-place grid drop for the main event and now has five penalty points this season. Although both drivers remain comfortably below the 12-point threshold that triggers a race ban, they will need to tread carefully in the final five rounds.

 

The system, introduced to promote cleaner racing, stipulates that penalty points stay active for 12 months from the date of the offence. Any driver accumulating 12 or more points within that period faces an automatic one-race suspension.

 

Currently, the two drivers most at risk of breaching that limit are Ollie Bearman of Haas and Max Verstappen of Red Bull.

 

Verstappen and Bearman on thin ice

 

Reigning world champion Verstappen, despite a stellar season that saw him win both races in Austin, carries nine penalty points. His infractions range from forcing another driver off track to causing collisions. The Dutchman has not picked up any new points since the Spanish Grand Prix in June, but his next chance for points to expire won’t come until October 27. That means he enters the Mexican Grand Prix with little margin for error — another three points would mean a race ban.

 

Haas rookie Ollie Bearman is in even deeper trouble with 10 points. His tally includes penalties from incidents at the Brazilian, Monaco, British, and Italian Grands Prix, mostly for causing collisions and breaching red flag procedures. His first points won’t expire until November 2, which means he must navigate the Mexican round cleanly to avoid missing a race.

 

The full picture

 

As of now, Bearman leads the table with 10 points, followed by Verstappen on nine. Oscar Piastri and Liam Lawson are next with six each, while Stroll and Antonelli sit on five apiece. Several other drivers — including Carlos Sainz, Alex Albon, and Yuki Tsunoda — have four points, while Lando Norris has three. Lewis Hamilton and Pierre Gasly each have two, and Charles Leclerc, Franco Colapinto, George Russell, and Esteban Ocon sit on one point each.

 

Notably, drivers such as Fernando Alonso, Isack Hadjar, Nico Hülkenberg, and Gabriel Bortoleto remain penalty-free.

 

Pressure mounts as title battle heats up

 

With only five rounds remaining, the fight at the front promises to be just as tense off the track as it is on it. Verstappen’s aggressive but calculated driving style, while key to his success, now faces scrutiny as one wrong move could lead to disqualification from a race weekend.

 

Meanwhile, rookies like Bearman and Antonelli continue to adapt to the sport’s strict regulations as they gain experience under the intense spotlight of Formula 1.

 

As the championship rolls into Mexico, both the title race and the penalty race will take centre stage — and for some, the stakes could not be higher.

 

F1 Driver Penalty Points (as of October 2025)

 

Driver Team Penalty Points

 

Ollie Bearman Haas 10

Max Verstappen Red Bull 9

Oscar Piastri McLaren 6

Liam Lawson Racing Bulls 6

Lance Stroll Aston Martin 5

Kimi Antonelli Mercedes 5

Carlos Sainz Williams 4

Alex Albon Williams 4

Yuki Tsunoda Red Bull 4

Jack Doohan Alpine 4

Lando Norris McLaren 3

Lewis Hamilton Ferrari 2

Pierre Gasly Alpine 2

Esteban Ocon Haas 1

Charles Leclerc Ferrari 1

Franco Colapinto Alpine 1

George Russell Mercedes 1

Fernando Alonso Aston Martin 0

Isack Hadjar Racing Bulls 0

Gabriel Bortoleto Sauber 0

Nico Hulkenberg Sauber 0

 

 

 

About The Author