The threat of suspension looms over certain pilots. If F1 has not yet launched its season, the threat of suspension looms over certain drivers. Some already know that they will have to be vigilant in order to avoid a racing suspension. As a reminder, FIA regulations allocate 12 points to each driver on their Superlicence which they must keep for 12 months. If these 12 units are exceeded, the driver concerned must be suspended for the race following his last infraction. A sentence which arrived in 2024 to Kevin Magnussen.
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The Dane, sanctioned several times by the FIA, notably in Miami, had an incident with Pierre Gasly at Monza. If the Frenchman did not consider this battle as dangerous, the FIA did not have the same point of view and imposed a time penalty on him during the race, but above all two penalty points, the last two units which gave him remained on his Superlicence. At the following Grand Prix, on the Baku track, Haas therefore had to replace Magnussen with Oliver Bearman. If this sanction is very rare (Magnussen is to date the only one to have taken it), it could still occur next season, in particular for two drivers.
Two world champions at the limit
Among the drivers most in danger, we find two world champions: Max Verstappen and Fernando Alonso. The two men each received a total of eight penalty points. However, the situation is more advantageous for the Spaniard. Indeed, the former Renault driver will recover three units from March 24, 2025, the second Grand Prix of the season (he had received this sanction for potentially dangerous driving during the Australian Grand Prix which had caused the retirement of George Russell). Another three points will be returned to him on April 20, the date on which he was found responsible for a collision with his compatriot Carlos Sainz during the sprint race in China. If the two-time world champion manages to stay clean in the first races, he should be able to get through the season without pressure.
For Verstappen, the risk is higher. The quadruple Dutch world champion will have to wait until June 30 before being able to recover his first points (two points after being found guilty of contact with Lando Norris during the Austrian Grand Prix), just after the 11th Grand Prix of the season . If 2025 starts the same way the 2024 season ended, with the Dutchman having to struggle, sometimes beyond the limits with the McLarens, he could become the first reigning world champion to receive a racing suspension.
10 other pilots still in activity were also sanctioned
However, they are not the only ones to have been targeted by the FIA since 10 other drivers also had points removed from their F1 license. We find in particular Nico Hülkenberg, Lance Stroll and Oscar Piastri who all three have four penalty points.
For their part, Esteban Ocon and Lando Norris are three. The Frenchman notably lost two points when he clashed with his teammate Pierre Gasly in Monaco. For his part, the British world runner-up received his three penalty points at the Qatar Grand Prix when he failed to slow down sufficiently while a double yellow flag was being waved.
Oliver Bearman, Alexander Albon and Liam Lawson have two. The Briton, former German and Italian F4 champion, caused a collision with Franco Colapinto in Brazil. Furthermore, the Williams driver and the New Zealander from Racing Bulls were both penalized during the same Grand Prix, in Qatar (Albon for causing a collision with Kevin Magnussen, Lawson for a collision with Valtteri Bottas).
Finally, Carlos Sainz and George Russell only lost one point throughout last season and should therefore not be worried about any sanctions in 2025.
Seven drivers without any penalty points
There is even greater peace of mind regarding seven drivers. In 12 months, they have not been sanctioned by the FIA. This observation, however, needs to be qualified for three of them. Indeed, Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Gabriel Bortoleto and Jack Doohan are part of this list. For the first two mentioned, the reason is simple: in 2025, they will start in F1 full-time. For the Australian, the chances of him suffering a penalty were slim as he only competed in the final round in Abu Dhabi. Conversely, Gasly, Tsunoda and the two Ferrari drivers Leclerc and Hamilton did not receive a penalty despite having completed all the Grand Prix of the season, a feat worth highlighting.
Drivers penalized… but who will no longer be in F1
Among the list of penalized drivers are also drivers who will not be in F1 next season, or who have even said goodbye to F1. For example, we find Bottas. The Finn, who had completed 23 Grand Prix without incident, unfortunately experienced a difficult last race and was responsible for two incidents earning him five penalty points.
For his part, Ricciardo lost three points (two in China and one at Monza), points that he will probably never recover, he who left F1 prematurely, replaced by Liam Lawson after the Grand Prix of Singapore. Finally, Alex Albon’s two former teammates at Williams, Logan Sargeant and Franco Colapinto, only have 10 points left on their Superlicense. If the American should no longer return to F1, the Argentinian still has his chances with rumors which suggest a contract of only five races for Jack Doohan, Alpine driver. In the event of poor performance during these five events, Colapinto could join the French team.
If F1 should have a fabulous spectacle in store for us in 2025, we will also have to watch the penalties. Possible suspensions of racing could in fact liven up a season which already promises to be exciting.
