Formula 1 penalty points system readjusted for 2023 season. FIA revises F1's penalty points approach for 2023.

The topic of penalty points was highly discussed during the previous Formula 1 championship, when Pierre Gasly was at risk of having to be suspended for one race due to relatively small rules breach.

The French driver received a total of ten penalty points, which meant that with two more points he would have been banned for a Grand Prix, due to track limits penalty at the Mexican Grand Prix. The current rules and regulations state that if a driver accrue 12 points over a 12-month period, then their race licence will be suspended for the following race, after which the slate will be wiped clean.

Any points received by a driver remain active on his licence for a period of one year. After 12 months the points are removed (each point on the one-year anniversary of the rule breach).

Pierre Gasly expressed his displeasure for the penalty points and he admitted that he wanted to share his point of view to the FIA to determine them to change the rules.

In an interview from last year, he explained: “I’m not going to lie. It’s a very unpleasant situation and quite delicate. In some ways, also a bit embarrassing to be standing in a position where I could be banned. After the season that I’ve done, I don’t really feel like I’ve been particularly dangerous over these last 12 months, and that will be definitely a harsh penalty.” – he pointed out.

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After Pierre Gasly’s talk with the FIA, it seems that the governing body was willing to evaluate the situation during the winter to understand if some changes are needed. After a thorough evaluation, it was decided that stewards would, from the start of the 2023 Formula 1 championship, take a much more considered approach in terms of giving penalty points.

We recall that the initial goal of the penalty system was to avoid dangerous driving and as a result the FIA will still give points for any breach that is considered not safe. Yet for rules breaches that are instead sporting related – like for example exceeding track limits – no points will be given out starting with the 2023 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, as confirmed by motorsport.com.

In fact the new approach was already seen in the first round of the current championship, at the Bahrain International Circuit, where the stewards handed out sporting sanctions without penalty points. Nico Hulkenberg and Esteban Ocon, who both received time penalties due to several rule breaches, did not get any penalty points on their licences.

Yet Pierre Gasly continues to remain with ten points: his first points are scheduled to expire on May 22.

Here is the full list of points for each F1 driver: