Penalty points in F1 | Alonso shoots up list after time penalty in China

No fewer than 11 penalty points were handed out at the Chinese Grand Prix. What does this mean for the total number of penalty points each Formula 1 driver has to his name? GPblog answer.

Each penalty point remains on a driver's licence for 12 months, with a one-race suspension as a penalty if a driver accumulates 12 penalty points on his licence within a year. Pierre Gasly came dangerously close to a suspension last season, but so far no one has exceeded the 12 points. After the Chinese GP, however, there are a number of drivers who will have to stand on their toes.

Fernando Alonso received a 10-second time penalty and three penalty points for an incident with Carlos Sainz during the sprint race. The Aston Martin driver shoots up the list as a result, as he also received a ten-second time penalty and three penalty points in Australia for an incident with George Russell, which caused quite a stir. Before the F1 race in Melbourne, Alonso's tally stood at zero penalty points.

Lance Stroll received two penalty points for crashing into the back of Ricciardo behind the safety car. The Canadian is on seven penalty points as a result. Daniel Ricciardo, Kevin Magnussen and Logan Sargeant also received two penalty points each from the stewards. Sergio Perez and Logan Sargeant are currently the closest to a suspension with eight penalty points each on their licences.

See the full breakdown of the number of penalty points per driver below.