FIA 'Open To' Penalty Point System Review After Kevin Magnussen Race Ban

Chris Ladd | Sep 18, 2024

May 3, 2024; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Hass drive Kevin Magnussen (20) races into turn one during F1 practice at Miami International Autodrome. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-Imagn Images / John David Mercer-Imagn Images

The penalty points system in Formula 1 has increasingly come under scrutiny following Kevin Magnussen's recent ban from the 2024 Azerbaijan Grand Prix after accumulating 12 points on his super licence.

Pierre Gasly, who was involved in the Monza incident with Magnussen, claimed Magnussen should not have been penalized further, especially after he already received a 10-second in-race penalty. The concept of "double jeopardy" — where drivers are punished both during the race and with penalty points — has become a major topic of discussion among drivers and officials.

As Magnussen sat out the Baku race, Haas opted to bring in Ollie Bearman, the team's 2025 signing, as a temporary replacement. This situation is expected to prompt significant debate during the upcoming winter meetings, where F1 stakeholders will likely review and possibly reform the penalty points system. Drivers feel the current system is too strict and doesn't adequately account for the nuances of racing incidents, which can often be situational or accidental.

The issue was brought up during the drivers' briefing for this weekend's event, and Gasly disclosed post-qualifying that the FIA is now "open" to reconsidering the existing rules after hearing the drivers' perspectives.

“Yeah, I asked them on moving forward,” Gasly replied when asked about the meeting by Motorsport.com. “Because I think as a sport we never like to see someone penalised in that way, and the view was that it was a bit harsh.

“So, yeah, I think it's definitely something they're open on reviewing and moving forward, which is the most important.”

According to the report by Motorsport.com they understand that the process of reviewing the penalty points system has not been enacted so far by F1’s stakeholders.

Initially, the issue will be discussed by the F1 Sporting Advisory Committee, which includes officials from FOM and FIA, as well as the sporting directors from each team. The FIA's policy is to avoid changing sporting rules mid-season to prevent compromising the integrity of the entire competition with modifications; this is what is expected to occur after the season ends.

Despite the growing calls for a revision of Formula 1's penalty points system, any changes might end up being relatively minor. According to Motorsport.com, the FIA informed drivers during the Baku briefing that, after analyzing the number of penalty points issued during the 2024 season, the average per race was only 2.2 points. This statistic indicates that, while some high-profile incidents—like Magnussen's recent ban—have highlighted potential flaws, the FIA believes the system is functioning as intended for the most part.