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Which Formula 1 Driver Is Closest to a Race Ban in 2022?

Published 12/30/2021, 7:00 AM EST

Of all the sports, the margin for error or a lapse of concentration is arguably the lowest in Formula 1. Simply because, a fraction of a second is what’s between a normal day of work and loss of millions or worse, a serious injury to a person.

And yes, there are still instances in which an incident happens between drivers. Some instances are racing incidents while some are the ones in which drivers lose their calm, or drive dangerously.

In order to lessen the latter types of incidents, FIA has a penalty system in place.

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What this does is, after every instance of a driver that resulted in dangerous driving, they’re handed penalty points. And if these penalty points exceed over 12 within a year, the driver is handed a race ban.

But the penalty points only remain on the driver’s license for a year.

So let’s take a look at the drivers whose penalty points are going into the next season with them.

Which Formula 1 driver’s head into 2022 with a penalty points burden?

According to Speedweek, Alpha Tauri’s Yuki Tsunoda will have the most eight penalty points on his license going into the next season.

Next up, is the Red Bull duo of Max Verstappen and Sergio Pérez with seven penalty points.

Then the trio of Nicholas Latifi, Nikita Mazepin, and Sebastian Vettel sits halfway away from a ban with six penalty points.

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Another trio, of Lance Stroll, Lando Norris, and Valtteri Bottas, has five penalty points. They’re followed by Pierre Gasly with three points, Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton with two points each, and Esteban Ocon and George Russell with one point to their respective names.

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However, there are those drivers as well who head into 2022 with a clean slate. The Ferrari duo of Carlos Sainz, Charles Leclerc, Daniel Ricciardo, Mick Schumacher, Alexander Albon, and incoming rookie, Guanyu Zhou have no penalty points.

The last time a driver was banned from a Grand Prix was Romain Grosjean in 2012.

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Do you think this period comes to an end after a decade in the next season?

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Written by:

Shaharyar is a Formula 1 & NASCAR writer at EssentiallySports. A graduate in Journalism from Amity University, he has been a passionate follower of motorsports for better part of the decade. A Max Verstappen and Ferrari supporter, he dreams of a pairing of the two in future.

Which Formula 1 Driver Is Closest to a Race Ban in 2022?

Which Formula 1 driver’s head into 2022 with a penalty points burden?

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