The use of penalty points in F1 has become increasingly liberal this season, and that is playing out with more drivers getting closer to the race ban threshold.
Kevin Magnussen moved to the top of the standings earlier this year, but given he had such a long time until any would be removed, his two points at Monza meant he hit the 12-point threshold that would trigger a race ban – which became zero again when he returned in Singapore.
What are penalty points used for in Formula 1?
Formula 1’s penalty points system is in place to keep driver behaviour under control, in the same way as regular road users, with 12 points on their FIA Super Licence over a 12-month period resulting in a one-race ban.
Penalty points are issued for driver transgressions, with the amount varying depending on the severity of the incident and, once a year has passed since that particular offence, their points get wiped, meaning they have to be careful to avoid crossing that fateful 12-point threshold.
Multiple races had gone by without any transgressions on track, but Magnussen’s points were among multiple at Monza, with Daniel Ricciardo and Nico Hulkenberg also punished for different offences during the race.
Magnussen also becomes the first driver to reach the 12-point threshold to reach a race ban since the penalty point system was introduced, meaning he missed the Azerbaijan Grand Prix and will return in Singapore with zero penalty points on his licence once again.
Sergio Perez had been on eight for most of the season, but finally saw one fall away after the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, with four more dropping off after Singapore – seeing him much safer in the standings.
Currently top of the list is Fernando Alonso with eight, ahead of Aston Martin team-mate Lance Stroll.
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