Following Magnussen’s Race Ban, F1 Penalty Points System to Be Reviewed in Winter

F1 officials, the FIA, and teams are preparing to discuss the possibility of revising the championship’s penalty points system following Kevin Magnussen’s recent race ban.

After Kevin Magnussen’s 2024 Baku ban, the future of Formula 1’s penalty points system will be a topic of discussion among the championship’s stakeholders in a meeting scheduled for winter. Since Magnussen accumulated 10 penalty points due to infractions in the early races of 2024, particularly the Miami race in May, the system of suspending drivers for reaching the 12-point threshold has become a significant focus for F1 drivers.

Magnussen, a Haas driver, was last penalized with two penalty points and a 10-second time penalty after colliding with Alpine driver Pierre Gasly in Monza, which led to his exclusion from this weekend’s Azerbaijan race. Oliver Bearman will replace Magnussen at Haas for the 2025 season. Gasly contested the penalty points given to Magnussen for the collision, arguing that adding penalty points in addition to race penalties is unfair. Many drivers commented on the issue in Baku.

During the drivers’ briefing for this weekend’s event, this topic was raised, and Gasly stated that the FIA is “open” to reviewing the current rules after listening to drivers following the qualifying sessions.

Gasly told, “Yes, I have requested progress on this matter because no one wants to see such a penalty, and there was a view that the penalty was somewhat harsh.”

“Yes, I think this is definitely something they are open to reviewing and progressing on, which is the most important thing.”

No review process has yet been initiated by F1 stakeholders regarding the penalty points system. The issue will first be discussed by F1’s Sporting Advisory Committee (which includes FOM and FIA officials as well as the sporting directors of each team).

As the FIA is against changing rules during the season, the meeting is planned to occur at the end of the season. If the committee deems a review necessary, it will be conducted by the FIA, and any proposed rule changes will be presented to F1 stakeholders before being voted on in the regulations.

However, changes to the penalty points system may be minor. It has been reported that the average number of penalty points given per race in the 2024 season is only 2.2, according to the FIA’s Baku meeting. Considering that the number of adjudications involving Magnussen stands at 17, it is suggested that drivers have a better understanding of the situation.

Any review of F1’s penalty points rules and subsequent changes will follow the FIA’s review of all sporting rules after the 2022 and 2023 seasons. During this process, minor infractions like track limits violations were addressed without adding penalty points.