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Max Verstappen clocking 11 F1 penalty points in the last 12 months means that the system is going to be one of the talking points until some of the points expire.
The system has been in place since 2014, and as a part of it, if a driver commits an on-track transgression, he gets penalty points. These penalty points stay with the driver for a 12-month period, and if he reaches a 12-point threshold, he's banned for a race.
Max Verstappen is the driver that is closest to a ban right now, but he's not the only one, as there are other delinquents as well on the grid. So who are the top 5 worst offenders? Let's take a look.
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F1 Penalty Points: Who is close to a ban?
#5. Oscar Piastri
Penalty Points: 4
McLaren's Oscar Piastri picked up two F1 penalty points at the Abu Dhabi GP in 2024 for contact with Franco Colapinto, taking his total to four.
- Two points: Causing a collision with Franco Colapinto at the 2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix (expires on December 8, 2025)
- Two points: Causing a collision with Liam Lawson at the 2024 Brazilian GP (expires on November 2, 2025)
#4. Jack Doohan
Penalty Points: 4
Jack Doohan was on the naughty step a number of times during the Chinese GP. The driver accrued four F1 penalty points during the second race weekend of the season.
- Two points: Causing a collision with Gabriel Bortoleto at the Chinese GP Sprint (expires on March 22, 2026)
- Two points: Pushing a driver off the track at the Chinese GP (expires on March 23, 2026)
#3. Nico Hulkenberg
Penalty Points: 4
Hulkenberg has four F1 penalty points to his name.
- Two points: Causing a collision with Yuki Tsunoda at the 2024 Italian Grand Prix (expires on September 1, 2025)
- Two points: Causing a collision with Fernando Alonso during the 2024 Austrian GP Sprint (expires on June 29, 2025)
#2. Liam Lawson
Penalty Points: 6
Lawson has six penalty points, with the latest coming at the F1 Bahrain GP and Miami GP.
- Two points: Causing a collision with Valtteri Bottas at the Qatar GP (expires on December 1, 2025)
- Two points: Causing a collision in the Bahrain GP (expires on April 14, 2026)
- One point: Causing a collision in the Bahrain GP (expires on April 14, 2026)
- One point: Causing a collision in the Miami GP (expires on May 3, 2026)
#1. Max Verstappen
Penalty Points: 11
Max Verstappen is dangerously close to emulating Danish driver Kevin Magnussen and becoming the second driver to get banned for a race. The Dutch driver is now at 11 F1 penalty points, with the reigning world champion accruing two for his collision with Oscar Piastri at last season's Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, and a further three at the Spanish GP.
- Three points: Causing a collision with George Russell during the 2025 F1 Spanish GP (expires on June 1, 2026)
- One point: Driving unnecessarily slowly in the 2024 F1 Qatar GP Qualifying (expires on December 1, 2025)
- One point: VSC infringement in the 2024 F1 Brazilian GP Sprint (expires on November 1, 2025)
- Two points: Forcing Lando Norris off track during the 2024 F1 Mexican GP (expires on October 27, 2025)
- Two points: Causing a collision with Norris at the 2024 F1 Austrian GP (expires on June 30, 2025)
- Two points: Causing a collision with Oscar Piastri at the 2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix (expires on December 8, 2025)
