FIA penalty points are being managed with unprecedented flexibility this season, a shift that has seen drivers collect just one point so far.
The new regulations, introduced before the start of the year, grant stewards wider latitude to decide whether and how many points to award for infringements, particularly in collision scenarios. While sporting penalties remain largely unchanged, the points system now allows zero to three points for causing a crash, depending on severity.
Esteban Ocon avoided penalties after a clash with Franco Colapinto in China, receiving only a 10‑second time penalty but no points. The guidelines state: “Penalty points for causing [a collision] should be adjusted based on the incident’s severity.” By contrast, a deliberate or reckless collision still attracts four points, unchanged from last year.
Oliver Bearman’s experience illustrates the changes. He had amassed eight points last season while on the brink of a ban, but the relaxed system reduced the pressure when “a single mistake typically didn’t cost a race.” He noted that drivers “are now allowed to race aggressively without the fear of a penalties curve that would set them back at the season’s end.”
GPDA director Carlos Sainz praised the FIA’s readiness to adapt, calling for a ban only when “continuous danger towards competitors, marshals, or FIA itself” occurs. “If a driver is only making a small mistake on a speed limiter, we should not penalise them with a race ban,” he said. Photo by: Eric Le Galliot
Race Director Rui Marques echoed the sentiment, describing the improved relationship since his arrival as the most collaborative the teams had seen since Charlie Whiting. He highlighted that “ignoring blue flags now sees no penalty points,” a move that encourages clearer communication on the track. Photo by: Mark Sutton / Formula 1 via Getty Images
"