F1 penalty points: Pierre Gasly remains in peril, Esteban Ocon’s licence cleaned up

No penalty points were handed out during the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, but Esteban Ocon had some removed from his driving licence.

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.

No one has yet fallen foul of this rule, but Pierre Gasly remains in a perilous position as he is only two away from receiving a ban, with no points coming off his licence until May.

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.

In Saudi Arabia, no penalty points were handed out, but Esteban Ocon had two points removed on the day following the Grand Prix. The two points were for causing a collision with Mick Schumacher during the 2022 Bahrain Grand Prix. Before the next Grand Prix, the Australian round on the 2nd of April, Zhou Guanyu is also set to have a point removed – he exceeded track limits and gained a lasting advantage during last year’s Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.

While he might not be active on the grid, Daniel Ricciardo is also set to have a cleaner licence over the coming days – the Australian sheds a point after impeding Esteban Ocon in last year’s Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.

Let’s see how the 20 drivers sit after the second race of the F1 2023 season.

Ten penalty points

Pierre Gasly

• Two points: Expire 22nd May 2023. These were handed out for causing a collision with Lance Stroll during the 2022 Spanish Grand Prix.
• Two points: Expire 10th July 2023. These were handed out for causing a collision with Sebastian Vettel during the 2022 Austrian Grand Prix.
• One point: Expires 10th July 2023. This was handed out for exceeding track limits during the 2022 Austrian Grand Prix.
• Two points: Expire 9th October 2023. These points were handed out for speeding under red flag conditions at the 2022 Japanese Grand Prix
• Two points: Expire 23rd October 2023. These points were handed out for falling more than 10 car lengths behind the car in front during the Safety Car period at the 2022 United States Grand Prix.
• One point: Expires 30th October 2023. This point was given for forcing Lance Stroll off track and gaining an advantage at the 2022 Mexico City Grand Prix.

Eight points

Lance Stroll

• Two points: Expire 10th April 2023. These were handed out for causing a collision with Nicholas Latifi at the 2022 Australian Grand Prix.
• One point: Expires 10th April 2023. This was handed out for weaving while defending during the 2022 Australian Grand Prix.
• Two points: Expire 23rd October 2023. These were handed out for causing a collision with Fernando Alonso during the 2022 United States Grand Prix.
• Three points: Expire 12th November 2023. These were handed out for a dangerous manoeuvre on Sebastian Vettel during the sprint at the 2022 Sao Paulo Grand Prix.

Six points

Fernando Alonso

• Two points: Expire 8th May 2023. These were handed out for causing a collision with Pierre Gasly during the 2022 Miami Grand Prix.
• One point: Expires 8th May 2023. This was handed out for cutting the track and gaining a lasting advantage during the 2022 Miami Grand Prix.
• One point: Expires 19th June 2023. This was handed out for weaving while defending during the 2022 Canadian Grand Prix.
• Two points: Expires 12th November 2023. These were given for causing a collision with Esteban Ocon during the sprint at the 2022 Sao Paulo Grand Prix.

Five points

Alex Albon

• One point: Expires 22nd May 2023. This was handed out for exceeding track limits during the 2022 Spanish Grand Prix.
• One point: Expires 29th May 2023. This was handed out for gaining a lasting advantage by leaving the track during the 2022 Monaco Grand Prix.
• Two points: Expire 9th July 2023. These were handed out for forcing Lando Norris off track during the 2022 Austrian Grand Prix.
• One point: Expires 23rd October 2023. This was handed out for going off track and holding onto position during the 2022 United States Grand Prix.

Four points

George Russell

• Two points: Expire 10th July 2023. These were handed out for causing a collision with Sergio Perez during the 2022 Austrian Grand Prix.
• Two points: Expire 23rd October 2023. These were handed out for causing a collision with Carlos Sainz during the 2022 United States Grand Prix.

Yuki Tsunoda

• Two points: Expire 3rd July 2023. These were handed out for causing a collision with Pierre Gasly during the 2022 British Grand Prix.
• Two points: Expire September 9th 2023. These were handed out for failing to slow for yellow flags during FP2 for the Italian Grand Prix.

Zhou Guanyu

• One point: Expires 26th March 2023. This was handed out for gaining a lasting advantage by leaving the track during the 2022 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
• One point: Expires 10th July 2023. This was handed out for exceeding track limits during the 2022 Austrian Grand Prix.
• Two points: Expire 23rd July 2023. These were handed out for causing a collision with Mick Schumacher during the 2022 French Grand Prix.

Three points

Esteban Ocon

• One point: Expires 29th May 2023. This was handed out for causing a collision with Lewis Hamilton during the 2022 Monaco Grand Prix.
• Two points: Expire 23rd July 2023. These were handed out for causing a collision with Yuki Tsunoda during the 2022 French Grand Prix.

Kevin Magnussen

• Two points: Expire 8th May 2023. These penalty points were handed out for causing a collision with Lance Stroll during the 2022 Miami Grand Prix.
• One point: Expires 11th September 2023. This was handed out for overtaking by leaving the track during the 2022 Italian Grand Prix.

Lando Norris

• One point: Expires 10th July 2023. This was handed out for exceeding track limits during the 2022 Austrian Grand Prix.
• Two points: Expire 13th November 2023. These were handed out for causing a collision with Charles Leclerc during the 2022 Sao Paulo Grand Prix.

Two points

Sergio Perez

• Two points: Expire 2nd October 2023. Issued after the 2022 Singapore Grand Prix for failing to stay within 10 car lengths of the Safety Car.

Max Verstappen

• Two points: Expire 13th November 2023. These were handed out for causing a collision with Lewis Hamilton during the 2022 São Paulo Grand Prix.

One point

Charles Leclerc

• One point: Expires 9th October 2023. This point was added to Leclerc’s licence for leaving the track and gaining an advantage during the closing stages of the 2022 Japanese Grand Prix.

Zero points

Valtteri Bottas

Lewis Hamilton

Carlos Sainz

Inactive drivers with unexpired F1 penalty points

Daniel Ricciardo – eight points

• One point: Expires 25th March 2023. This was handed out for impeding Esteban Ocon at the 2022 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
• One point: Expires 8th May 2023. This was handed out for gaining a lasting advantage by leaving the track during the 2022 Miami Grand Prix.
• Two points: Expire 30th July 2023. These were handed out for causing a collision with Lance Stroll during the 2022 Hungarian Grand Prix.
• Two points: Expire 30th October 2023. These were given for causing a collision with Yuki Tsunoda during the 2022 Mexico City Grand Prix.
• Two points: Expire 13th November 2023. These were given for causing a collision with Kevin Magnussen during the 2022 Sao Paulo Grand Prix.

Nicholas Latifi – five points

• One point: Expires 12th June 2023. This was handed out for ignoring blue flags during the 2022 Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
• Two points: Expire 2nd October 2023. These penalty points were issued for causing a collision with Zhou Guanyu during the 2022 Singapore Grand Prix.
• Two points: Expire 23rd October 2023. These were handed out for colliding with Mick Schumacher and pushing him off track at the 2022 United States Grand Prix.

Mick Schumacher – three points

• One point: Expires 23rd October 2023. This was handed out for exceeding track limits on four occasions during the 2022 United States Grand Prix.
• Two points: Expires 20th November 2023. These points were given to Mick Schumacher for causing a collision with Nicholas Latifi at the 2022 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Sebastian Vettel – two points

• One point: Expires 10th July 2023. This was handed out for exceeding track limits at the 2022 Austrian Grand Prix.
• One point: Expires 3rd September 2023. This was handed out for ignoring blue flags at the 2022 Dutch Grand Prix.