Points and penalties: What is a race ban in Formula 1 and how does it work?. What is a race ban in F1 and how does it work?.

It rarely happens in F1 that a driver receives a race ban, a very harsh penalty: let’s find out what it is and how it works.

The race ban is a penalty as rare as it is severe, so much so that only a few drivers in F1 history have received it. The last one to receive it is Kevin Magnussen, who will miss the Azerbaijan GP at the Baku City Circuit after reaching the maximum number of penalty points available in a season.

For 2024, the FIA has set a maximum of 12 points on the super license. If a driver exceeds that threshold within 12 months, they receive a race ban (a race disqualification). From Saudi Arabia to the Italian GP, the Danish driver reached that limit. That’s why he will miss the next race. Oliver Bearman, already confirmed as a Haas driver for the next season, will replace him.

Before Kevin Magnussen, drivers who received a race ban in F1 were Romain Grosjean (in 2012), Jacques Villeneuve (1997), Michael Schumacher (1994), Eddie Irvine (1994), Nigel Mansell (1989), and Riccardo Patrese (1978).

F1 penalty points 2024: When does a driver receive a race disqualification?

The super license is an essential requirement to race in Formula 1. This system was introduced in the early 1990s, while penalty points have existed since 2014. Similar to a driving license, the super license is also subject to restrictions.

Each F1 driver has 12 penalty points available for a period of 12 months. If this limit is reached, a race ban is triggered. The sanction means that the driver is disqualified from one Grand Prix.

If a driver receives a disqualification, the points will be removed from the super license, and they reset when the driver returns to the track. In Kevin Magnussen’s case, his penalty points will be cleared after the Baku GP, and he will race the last seven races of the 2024 Formula 1 season starting from zero.

Source: f1ingenerale