Kevin Magnussen triggers F1 race ban as FIA dish out penalty punishment

Kevin Magnussen has become the first current driver to hit the 12 penalty point threshold on his Super Licence, which will trigger a race ban for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

This comes after picking up two points in the Italian Grand Prix for causing a collision with Pierre Gasly, with those points taking him up to the 12 required to trigger a race ban.

Kevin Magnussen banned for Italian Grand Prix after penalty points infringements

Drivers are not allowed to accrue more than 12 penalty points on their FIA Super Licence in a rolling 12-month period, with points dropping off their licences after 12 months – but Magnussen has become the first driver to fall foul of this rule since it was introduced.

This will see another driver step into Magnussen’s cockpit for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, most likely 2025 Haas driver Oliver Bearman, who has already taken part in multiple FP1 sessions for the team this year as he prepares for a full-time drive with the team.

More on F1 penalty points and how they are handed out

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In their verdict of the incident with Gasly, the stewards wrote: “Whilst Car 20 had its front axle past the mirror of Car 10, the Driving Standards Guidelines specify that an overtaking car has to “be driven in a safe and controlled manner throughout the manoeuvre”. The Stewards determined that this was not the case for Car 20 and hence the driver was wholly to blame for the collision and hence the standard penalty and penalty points are allocated.”

Magnussen and Haas have the right to appeal certain decisions the FIA take, but if they do appeal and are unsuccessful, Magnussen will be on the sidelines at the next race in Baku.

How did Kevin Magnussen accrue his penalty points?

Here is how Magnussen’s penalty points have been accrued, when they took place and when they were due to expire:

• Three points: Expire 9th March 2025. These were awarded for causing a collision with Alex Albon during the 2024 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
• Two points: Expire 21st April 2025. These were awarded for causing a collision with Yuki Tsunoda during the 2024 Chinese Grand Prix.
• Three points: Expire 4th May 2025. These were awarded for leaving the track and gaining an advantage on multiple occasions during the 2024 Miami Grand Prix Sprint as additional ‘aggravating circumstances’, following multiple time penalties.
• Two points: Expire 5th May 2025. These were awarded for causing a collision with Logan Sargeant during the 2024 Miami Grand Prix.
• Two points: Expire 1st September 2025. These were awarded for causing a collision with Pierre Gasly during the 2024 Italian Grand Prix.

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