The penalty points system in Formula 1 has become a contentious issue this season. Kevin Magnussen, for instance, received three penalty points on his super license in Miami after crossing the line in his duels with Lewis Hamilton. Max Verstappen, however, doesn’t seem overly concerned about the system, stating, “As a driver, you could also question why you always find yourself in that position.”
When a driver accumulates twelve penalty points within a twelve-month period, they are automatically suspended for one race. Currently, Kevin Magnussen, Sergio Pérez, and Logan Sargeant lead the list, each with eight penalty points. Verstappen, on the other hand, has no cause for concern as his tally stands at just two penalty points. The last driver to be suspended from a race was Frenchman Romain Grosjean in 2012, after causing a severe crash at the Belgian Grand Prix. At that time, there was no penalty points system in place.
‘Randomness Seems Strange’
Max Verstappen did express in Miami that he sometimes finds it hard to understand the stewards’ decisions when imposing penalties. “I find the penalties sometimes very difficult to comprehend. Why someone gets one, two, or three penalty points. I find that randomness strange. Would a system with fixed stewards help? I don’t think it would make much of a difference.”
Sergio Pérez’s Critique of the Penalty Points System
Sergio Pérez, during the FIA press conference in Miami, sarcastically mentioned that he is leading the penalty points championship. However, he believes that the system needs to be critically reviewed.
Max Verstappen’s Perspective
Max Verstappen commented on this issue, stating, “On the other hand, as a driver, you have to ask yourself why you always find yourself in that position. Sometimes you just have to think along the lines of, ‘If I do this, I might cause a crash.’ You may sometimes disagree with a penalty or find it unfair, but you should try not to get into that situation.” Verstappen, who realizes that he often found himself in similar situations during his early years in Formula 1, added with a laugh, “Yes, that was in the past.”
No Unsportsmanlike Behavior from Magnussen
Kevin Magnussen had to report to the stewards on Saturday evening to answer for alleged unsportsmanlike behavior. This could have resulted in further penalty enhancement, but the Haas driver was ultimately acquitted. The stewards did suggest in their justification that it would be good to start a discussion about giving stewards more power to increase penalties.
Max Verstappen is not worried about potential changes. “For me, it won’t change anything,” he said.
