How do F1 penalties work?

From a 5-second penalty to a grid drop or disqualification. Stewards judge every incident, and penalty points can lead to a race ban.

From a 5-second penalty to a grid drop or disqualification. Stewards judge every incident, and penalty points can lead to a race ban.

Who decides

Four Stewards, one of them a former racing driver, review incidents with video and data. Their decisions are published as FIA documents.

From small to big

A Time penalty of 5 or 10 seconds is served at the next pit stop or added at the end. Bigger ones are a drive-through, a 10-second stop-and-go, a Grid penalty at the next race, or disqualification.

Engine parts

Each car has a fixed number of each engine part for the season. The first extra part costs 10 grid places, each further one 5. Over 15 places means starting from the back.

Penalty points

Serious offences also add points to the driver’s licence. Twelve points within twelve months means a one-race ban.

Qualifying times deleted

A single lap is deleted when a driver breaks Track limits or ignores a yellow flag; the next best lap counts. When a car breaks a technical rule, for example it is underweight or a part is not legal, or the team breaks a procedure, the stewards can cancel all of that driver’s qualifying times or exclude the car from qualifying. The driver keeps the place on the time sheet for the record, but starts from the back of the grid, or from the pit lane if the car is changed. The race result is not affected: the driver can still score points.

Can a team appeal?

Teams can ask for a review if there is new evidence; most penalties stand.

Why did a driver who set a fast lap start last?

The stewards did not count that driver’s qualifying times, usually because the car broke a technical rule. The lap still shows on the time sheet, but the driver starts from the back. The reason is in the stewards’ decision, published as an FIA document.