Which driver has the most F1 penalty points heading into 2026?

Penalty points mean F1 drivers are at risk of potentially being banned for a race.

Since 2014, F1 stewards award penalties alongside penalty points that accrue on a driver’s super licence.

Should a driver obtain 12 penalty points over a 12-month period then they will be handed a race ban.

The first driver to be banned for an F1 grand prix for hitting 12 penalty points was Kevin Magnussen at the 2024 Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

F1 penalty points are used, similarly to road users, to keep behaviour in check.

Stewards apply penalty points to F1 drivers at their discretion, depending on the severity of the incident.

A year after a particular incident and a points punishment, the penalty points are wiped away.

This means an F1 driver can sit on the brink of a race ban if they edge close to the dreaded 12-point mark. They must stay on the right side of the regulations until some points are wiped off their record, a year after the punishment was dished out.

Ollie Bearman heads into the new campaign most at risk of picking up a race ban.

The Haas driver sits on 10 penalty points - just two shy of triggering an automatic race suspension.

The earliest time any penalty points will expire from Bearman’s licence will be 23 May.

That means Bearman must walk a penalty tightrope and be on his best behaviour until the Canadian Grand Prix.

Lance Stroll and Liam Lawson have the next highest amount of penalty points, with six each.

Eight drivers, including reigning world champion Lando Norris, boast a clean slate and start the 2026 F1 season on zero penalty points.

Although Valtteri Bottas has no penalty points to his name, the returning Finn will have to serve a five-place grid penalty on his Cadillac debut at the season-opening Australian Grand Prix.

Bottas was handed the punishment for a collision with Magnussen at the 2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, his last race for Sauber.

Each driver’s totals and the respective reasons for the penalty points are outlined below…

How many penalty points does each F1 driver have?