F1 penalty points: how Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton begin 2025. F1 penalty points for the start of 2025.

From one year to the next
The 2024 Formula 1 season has just ended, but one element ties the recently concluded championship to the one set to begin in Australia on March 16, featuring a grid half-renewed with rookies and driver transfers: penalties. The infamous penalty points — which this year cost Kevin Magnussen a race suspension — last for 12 months, meaning all drivers will carry over their penalty points from the 2024 season into the next championship.

Particularly at risk at the start of the next season are two prominent names on the grid: Fernando Alonso and Max Verstappen. Both drivers, who have often been among the most vocal critics of the stewards’ penalty decisions during various GPs, will begin the year with eight penalty points each, just four points away from a race suspension. However, Fernando Alonso needs only to avoid major incidents in the first two races: three of his eight points will expire on March 24, the day after the second Grand Prix of the year.

Fernando Alonso at risk, Max Verstappen even more so
If the Spaniard avoids major infractions between Melbourne and China, his disciplinary situation will improve further: an additional three points will expire on April 20. Verstappen, on the other hand, is in a significantly worse position. The four-time world champion won’t have any points expiring until June 30. This means he must avoid accruing more than four penalty points during the first 11 Grands Prix, or he’ll face a race suspension.

Regarding the possibility of being forced to miss a race, the Dutch driver himself joked after the Abu Dhabi GP, where he was penalized with a 10-second penalty and two penalty points following an incident with Oscar Piastri. Speaking to journalists, the soon-to-be father said he’s ready to use the potential suspension as “paternity leave” to attend the birth of his child. This quip underscores the tense relationship between the #1 driver and the FIA stewards.

No problem for Ferrari drivers Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton, who begin the 2025 Formula 1 championship with no penalty points: