The FIA made the decision to publicly release Formula One stewards’ guidelines for penalty points in order to give viewers insight to the decision making process. Fans and F1 drivers alike have in recent times complained about the lack of transparency from the FIA when it comes to decision making.
According to an article by PlanetF1, FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem believes that releasing these documents will give F1 fans and media a more accurate understanding of the decision making. As he believes that the FIA stewards often receive “wholly unwarranted criticism”. Mohammed Ben Sulayem stated:
“FIA Stewards perform a hugely complex task, not just in Formula 1 but across all of our championships, and they do this voluntarily, with great passion and commitment. That dedication is all too often met with extreme and wholly unwarranted criticism.
“To demonstrate the rigour with which they pursue their role, we are today publishing the Penalty and Driving Standards Guidelines that assist them with their decisions. This will give fans and members of the media a much deeper and more accurate insight into how decisions are made in Formula 1.
“The Penalty Guidelines have been a core tool for almost a decade while the Driving Standards Guidelines introduced in 2022 and constantly updated have brought the most important voices, those of the drivers, to the table to create a genuine reference for certain racing situations.”
What are penalty points in F1?
Penalty points and offenses in Formula One have been a hot topic in recent times. Especially with F1 drivers pointing out the inconsistencies in the decisions. The lack of transparency when it comes to how stewards decide on a punishment and how to differ one offense from another, has also been pointed out several times.
It is important to note that not all penalties in F1 come with the added punishment of penalty points. While some offenses only come with the punishment of fines and reprimands, others will result in penalty points. Sometimes, certain offenses are deemed more dangerous or severe than others. Thus, resulting in penalty points added to a driver’s Super License. A driver cannot exceed more than 12 penalty points within a 12-month period without facing a race ban. If a driver reaches 12 penalty points and receives a race ban, their penalty points reset.
The FIA clarifies that these are guidelines and not strict rules. It does offer wiggle room for each offense which is perhaps why the decisions sometimes appear inconsistent.
Which offenses lead to penalty points?
As outlined by PlanetF1, there are severe offenses committed during a race that typically result in penalty points. The most severe offense is to ignore a black or black and orange flag. This would result in 5 penalty points, and a possible disqualification. Next would be failing to slow down or stop for a red flag. This would result in 4 penalty points and usually a 10-second stop and go penalty.
Additionally, there are some offenses where the penalty points received depends on the severity of the situation. For instance, if a driver causes a collision with “apparent deliberate or reckless intent”, the maximum amount of penalty points received will be 4. The same applies for causing a collision. Driving with significant and obvious damage. Driving unnecessarily slow in a dangerous manner. Failing to stop at red light at the pit exit, and driving erratically. These infringements can receive a maximum of 3 penalty points.
Infringements such as: failure to slow for yellow flags, impeding with intent, moving in the braking zone, and overtaking the safety car come with 3 penalty points. Each offense can also result in additional punishments. Such as, grid penalty for failing to slow during yellow flags. Or a 10 second stop and go penalty for overtaking the safety car during a race.
Furthermore, some infringements are deemed severe enough to receive a single penalty point. However, not severe enough to receive multiple penalty points. This would be infringements such as an unsafe release from a pit stop if the driver is at fault. Exceeding the minimum time set behind the safety car. Or exceeding the virtual safety car speed limit.
With these guidelines now being public, perhaps the way in which penalties are discussed will change, or maybe it will call for more changes to be had.
