F1 penalty points: Top 5 worst offenders of the 2025 season

The F1 penalty points system was first introduced in 2014, and in the next couple of races, it would be a topic of discussion. The system's inception can be traced back to the 2012 season, where Romain Grosjean caused a massive pileup on the first lap of the race.

The French driver was subsequently banned, but the ban was a culmination of Grosjean alongside quite a few other drivers like Pastor Maldonado, who had a knack for being too crash-prone for the sport.

As a result, the system was first introduced, and it has since been a valuable addition. As a part of the system, a driver is handed penalty points for every on-track transgression. These points stay with the drivers for a 12-month period until expiry.

If one crosses the 12-point threshold, they get banned from a race. This was precisely what happened with Kevin Magnussen last season.

The F1 penalty points are now a major topic of discussion because Max Verstappen is on 11 points. One more point, and he gets banned from a race. For the reigning champion to face this, it is not a good look for the driver or the sport, and hence, everyone is keeping an eye on the status of the driver's penalty points.

With that being said, in the 2025 season, who have been the worst offenders in terms of getting F1 penalty points? Let's take a look.

Worst offenders by F1 Penalty Points

#5 Carlos Sainz : 2 points

At No. 5 we have Carlos Sainz. The Spaniard picked up a couple of points in the season's first race in Bahrain for causing a collision. The Williams driver's overall tally of F1 penalty points is also at two for the moment.

#4 Lance Stroll: 2 points

Aston Martin driver Lance Stroll is tied with Carlos Sainz, as the driver has also picked up a couple of F1 penalty points this season. The Canadian, who had to miss the race in Barcelona due to a wrist injury, picked up a couple of points during the F1 Monaco GP race weekend, where he was penalized twice for impeding.

#3 Max Verstappen: 3 points

Max Verstappen is third on this list (ironically in the same place he is in the championship). The driver was handed three penalty points in Barcelona for causing a collision with George Russell.

In general, a driver is handed a couple of points for such a penalty, but the nature of the incident meant that the stewards felt that three penalty points were the right call.

#2 Jack Doohan: 4 points

Gone but not forgotten? Well, Jack Doohan fits the bill here, as the Australian accumulated as many as four F1 penalty points during his five-race stint with Alpine. In general, you don't see drivers getting this many points this early in the season, and it would have been interesting to see how the rookie went about the rest of his season.

The race weekend in China was contentious for the Australian. He picked up 4 points due to two separate incidents. The first was with Gabriel Bortoloeto in the sprint, where he was penalized for causing a collision, and the second was with Isack Hadjar, where he pushed the French driver off the track.

#1 Liam Lawson: 4 points

Well, Liam Lawson finds himself at the top of the list, as the Kiwi has picked up four points over the season. The driver has been involved in three different incidents this season. He was penalized twice in the Bahrain GP for causing a collision, and the third time in Miami, where he was again punished for making contact.