F1 penalty points: 5 biggest delinquents before the 2025 F1 Mexican GP

The F1 penalty points system has been in place since 2014, and for Max Verstappen, the race in Mexico arguably comes at a great time, as he loses a few of them on his superlicense. The Red Bull driver has been precariously close to getting banned, as he has racked up quite a few points in the last 12 months.

If a driver ends up reaching the dreaded 12-point threshold, he gets banned for a race weekend. Max Verstappen had reached 11 points post the race in Barcelona, but is now at 9 and in a somewhat safer space. It's still not smooth sailing whatsoever, and hence, the F1 Mexican GP, where he can end up losing a few F1 penalty points, is going to be a welcome addition.

With that being said, as we get ready for the F1 Mexican GP, who are the top 5 delinquents on the current grid? Let's take a look.

F1 Penalty Points: Who is close to a ban?

#5 Liam Lawson

Penalty Points: 6

Liam Lawson is at #4 with six F1 penalty points to his name at the moment.

• One point: Causing a collision in the Miami GP (expires on May 3, 2026)
• 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)
• Two points: Causing a collision with Valtteri Bottas at the Qatar GP (expires on December 1, 2025)

#4 Oscar Piastri

Penalty Points: 6

Oscar Piastri also has six F1 penalty points to his name. It does come as a surprise as well as the driver is in general very clean in his wheel-to-wheel combat.

• Two points: Erratic Braking in front of Max Verstappen before a restart (expires on July 6, 2026)
• 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)

#3. Lance Stroll

Penalty Points: 7

Lance Stroll is currently at five F1 penalty points on his license.

• Two points: Causing a collision with Esteban Ocon at US GP sprint (expires on October 20, 2026)
• Two points: Pushing another driver off track at the Canadian GP (expires on June 15, 2026)
• One point: Causing a collision with Charles Leclerc at the Monaco GP (expires on May 25, 2026)
• Two points: Causing a collision with Alex Albon at the Qatar GP (expires on December 1, 2025)

#2 Max Verstappen

Penalty Points: 9

Max Verstappen is no longer the driver with the most F1 penalty points, as Ollie Bearman has taken over the mantle. He's still within striking distance of that threshold.

• Three points: Causing a collision with George Russell during the 2025 F1 Spanish GP (expires on June 1, 2026)
• Two points: Causing a collision with Oscar Piastri at the 2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix (expires on December 8, 2025)
• 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)

#1 Ollie Bearman

Penalty Points: 10

Ollie Bearman is now alarmingly close to a race ban with 10 F1 penalty points to his name. The Brit has displaced Max Verstappen as the driver with the most points accrued on the current grid.

• Four points: Red Flag infringement in the pitlane during British GP (expires 6 July 2026)
• Two points: Red Flag infringement in Monaco GP FP2 (expires on 23 May 2026)
• Two points: Causing a collision with Franco Colapinto at the 2024 Brazilian GP (expires on November 2, 2025).
• Two points: Causing a collision with Carlos Sainz at the 2025 Italian GP (expires on September 7, 2026)