Oliver Bearman finds himself precariously positioned on the precipice of Formula 1 suspension as the 2026 season approaches, carrying ten penalty points on his FIA super licence following an at-times turbulent debut campaign with Haas.
The British driver sits just two penalty points away from an automatic one-race ban, with his earliest points not expiring until 23rd May.
This leaves the 20-year-old walking a disciplinary tightrope through the opening six race weekends of the season, including the start of the Canadian Grand Prix weekend.
Bearman's penalty point accumulation stems from a series of incidents from a rookie season that highlighted both his raw pace and the occasional lapse of judgement.
The bulk of his current tally came from three significant episodes: Overtaking Carlos Sainz under red flag conditions in Monaco; his pit lane crash under red flag conditions at Silverstone; and his collision with the Williams driver at Monza.
Beyond Bearman's precarious position, several other drivers find themselves in concerning territory heading into the new season. Lance Stroll and Liam Lawson both carry six penalty points, followed by Kimi Antonelli on five.
At the other end of the scale, George Russell, Lando Norris, Fernando Alonso, Isack Hadjar, Nico Hulkenberg, Valtteri Bottas, Sergio Perez and Arvid Lindblad all have zero FIA super licence penalty points.
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Verstappen's escape from suspension threat
Bearman's current predicament pales in comparison to the drama that unfolded around Max Verstappen during the 2025 season.
The four-time world champion reached a critical juncture when his penalty point tally climbed to eleven following a controversial collision with George Russell at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.
The incident saw Verstappen make contact with the Mercedes in a red mist moment, which earned him the three remaining penalty points to his name.
Verstappen's earlier infractions all came in the second half of 2024, so have since been wiped, but the Red Bull driver was forced to exercise extreme caution during the Canadian and Austrian Grands Prix, knowing that even the slightest infringement could sideline him for a race.
Check out the full overview of the number of penalty points in Formula 1 below! * = non-active F1 driver in 2026
FIA super licence penalty points overview
| Driver | Number of penalty points | Expire on |
|---|---|---|
| Oliver Bearman | 10 | 2 (May 23, 2026), 4 (July 5, 2026), 2 (September 7, 2026), 1 (November 8, 2026), 1 (December 7, 2026) |
| Yuki Tsunoda* | 8 | 2 (June 14, 2026), 2 (June 29, 2026), 1 (July 6, 2026) 2 (November 9, 2026), 1 (December 7, 2026) |
| Lance Stroll | 6 | 1 (May 23, 2026), 2 (June 15, 2026) 2 (October 18, 2026), 1 (December 7, 2026) |
| Liam Lawson | 6 | 1 (April 13, 2026), 2 (April 13, 2026), 1 (May 3, 2026) 1 (November 9, 2026), 1 (December 7, 2026) |
| Kimi Antonelli | 5 | 2 (June 29, 2026) 2 (Aug. 31, 2026) 1 (Sept. 7, 2026) |
| Oscar Piastri | 4 | 2 (July 6, 2026) 2 (November 9, 2026) |
| Jack Doohan* | 4 | 2 (March 22, 2026), 2 (March 23, 2026) |
| Carlos Sainz | 4 | 2 (April 13, 2026) 2 (Oct. 18) |
| Max Verstappen | 3 | 3 (June 1, 2026) |
| Alex Albon | 3 | 2 (Sept. 21, 2026) (Nov. 21, 2026) |
| Lewis Hamilton | 3 | 2 (Aug. 31, 2026) 1 (Nov. 9, 2026) |
| Pierre Gasly | 2 | 2 (Aug. 3, 2026) |
| Gabriel Bortoleto | 2 | 2 (November 21, 2026) |
| Franco Colapinto | 1 | 1 (June 29, 2026) |
| Charles Leclerc | 1 | 1 (Aug. 3, 2026) |
| Esteban Ocon | 1 | 1 (Sept. 7, 2026) |
| George Russell | 0 | - |
| Lando Norris | 0 | - |
| Fernando Alonso | 0 | - |
| Isack Hadjar | 0 | - |
| Nico Hülkenberg | 0 | - |
| Valtteri Bottas | 0 | - |
| Sergio Pérez | 0 | - |
| Arvid Lindblad | 0 | - |
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