Formula 1 title leader Max Verstappen is now over halfway to a race suspension after sustaining two separate sanctions in Saudi Arabia while Lewis Hamilton is a single reprimand away from a grid penalty.
Verstappen was handed a five-second time penalty for leaving the track and gaining an advantage while battling Hamilton during the race at Jeddah.
He was also handed one penalty point for the infraction.
Verstappen was then judged to have braked in a manner which caused a collision with Hamilton during his attempt at relinquishing the lead to his rival.
The 10-second time penalty that Verstappen incurred did not affect his race position of second, but he was also issued a further two penalty points.
That brings his rolling 12-month total up to seven points.
Verstappen picked up two at Monza for colliding with Hamilton and two at Losail for ignoring yellow flags during qualifying.
It means the first two of Verstappen’s seven penalty points will not be wiped from his license until next September, with 17 more events to run until that date.
Hamilton is on two penalty points; he amassed those for colliding with Verstappen at Silverstone.
The Mercedes driver nonetheless has to walk his own tightrope after picking up his second driving-related reprimand of the season.
Hamilton was reprimanded, with Mercedes fined, after he impeded Haas’ Nikita Mazepin during Saturday’s final practice session through Jeddah’s first sector.
Hamilton’s first reprimand came during practice in Mexico when he did not adhere to the Race Director’s notes when re-joining the track at the first corner.
Under Formula 1’s regulations if a driver receives three reprimands during a season, of which two are imposed for a driving infringement, then they will be relegated 10 places on the grid.
That means that in the event of Hamilton being reprimanded for a driving-related infringement in either practice or qualifying in Abu Dhabi then a grid demotion will follow.
Reprimands are wiped from a driver’s record for each new season but penalty points remain active across a rolling 12-month phase.
You should also look back at the record driver penalty points which are now expired.
Doesn’t Max now hold the record since the system started? He certainly racked many during his wild first phase on joining F1 straight from F3.
Last time I looked Verstappen was 3rd in the alll-time list of penalty points. Around 30 to 50% more penalty points than Hamilton despite having been exposed to penalty points for a year less.
Given Verstappen’s apparent lack of respect for every other driver it is amazing he has not accrued more penalties. Why is it extremely capable drives like Verstappen. Senna and Schumacher were or are such bad sportsmen?
Whenever Lewis Hamilton retires I sincerely hope he is alive when it happens!
FIA are bringing this year to the conclusion they want, verstappen should be disqualified for brake testing another racer on the grounds of causing danger to life he’s an absolute menace. I’m not an Hamilton fan by any means ( com on Seb ) but I think he is fighting Red Bull ( whining Horner ) & the FIA. Let’s see if I’m proven right.