44% fewer penalty points distributed on the super license than in 2022
Stewards were more lenient with drivers this season. 42 penalty points were handed out on super licenses, compared with 75 in 2022, a 44% reduction.
When one is a F1 driver, one often has the feeling of receiving too many penalties. This was particularly the case in 2022 where 75 penalty points on the drivers’ super licenses were distributed by the FIA.
In 2022, so-called “minor” on-track offenses were sanctioned, whereas this season, they were not. The disregard of yellow flags, jostling or collisions were punished in the same way as in 2022.
This year, only 42 super license points were withdrawn, 33 units less than the previous year, representing a decrease of 44%. 22 infractions were recorded by the commissioners and three of them were worth only one withdrawal point. These include Zhou Guanyu’s off-track exit by Yuki Tsunoda in Barcelona, Nico Hülkenberg’s disregard for the flag procedure in qualifying in Canada, and the collision between Sergio Perez and Alexander Albon in Singapore. Lance Stroll is the only one who received three penalty points, in Las Vegas, after overtaking a competitor under a double yellow flag.
The different penalties given to the drivers
Pierre Gasly had received ten penalty points on his super license in 2022, against none this year. Fernando Alonso, Charles Leclerc, Lando Norris are also among the drivers who have not received any penalty points.
On the other side of the spectrum, Sergio Perez is the driver who collected the most with seven penalty points. Logan Sargeant is just behind the Mexican, with six units. The American received three two-point penalties during the season, in Monza and Suzuka for collisions and in Mexico for not respecting the yellow flags. Hamilton and Russell have each had four penalty points. Max Verstappen only had two over the season, it was in Las Vegas for having squeezed Charles Leclerc at the start of the race.
