Race suspension: the situation regarding the drivers’ penalty points after Italy

Super License: how does it work?

Introduced in 1984, the Super Licence is an essential document for any driver wishing to compete in Formula 1. The driver must accumulate a total of 40 points, either through lower divisions – F2 or F3 – or through other competitions regulated by the FIA according to a scale set by the latter. Other criteria come into play and these are subject to change, as was recently the case with the age limit, which was set at 18 years old.

Since 2014, the international body has introduced a new rule for F1 grid drivers to limit dangerous or irresponsible behaviors. They receive 1 to 3 penalty points on their Super License for each infraction committed during a race weekend. These points are recovered after one year. If a driver accumulates 12 penalty points in the last 12 months, he is suspended during the next Grand Prix, like Kevin Magnussen, which is a first since the establishment of this 8-year-old rule.

Magnussen, 12 points

Kevin Magnussen currently has 12 penalty points. But Pierre Gasly has notably indicated that he would try to see what he can do to plead Kevin Magnussen’s case before the FIA. At this stage, the Dane is therefore at the limit of his permitted quota of penalty points after Italy and will therefore have to be suspended in Baku, in 10 days. His point quota will then revert to 0, while he is without a seat for 2025, Kevin Magnussen will still have 7 Grand Prix races to run.

Alonso, Perez, and Sargeant on 8 points.

Among the drivers with the most penalty points, Fernando Alonso, Sergio Perez, and Logan Sargeant have a total of 8 points and are therefore 4 points away from a suspension. If the American was recently ousted by Williams and the Mexican will regain 1 point on September 17th and another 4 points a week later, the Spaniard will have to wait longer before replenishing his Super License.

Fernando Alonso has indeed accumulated his 8 penalty points since March 24. He therefore should not incur an additional 4 points in the next 6 months or he risks being suspended for a weekend, like Kevin Magnussen.

The other drivers are not too worried.

No other driver has more than 5 penalty points and therefore has some leeway. Lance Stroll has 5, one more than Max Verstappen and Nico Hülkenberg, who received 2 points this weekend. French driver Esteban Ocon and Daniel Ricciardo follow with 3 points, then Valtteri Bottas and George Russell with 2 points. Carlos Sainz has only received one point in the last 12 months.

All other drivers on the grid, from Pierre Gasly to Charles Leclerc including newcomers Oliver Bearman and Franco Colapinto, have not accumulated any penalty points. Lewis Hamilton, who is currently at 2, will have those points cleared before the next Grand Prix. Special mention to McLaren, the only team not to have received any penalties of this kind over the past year.