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F1 drivers call for review into "joke" penalty points system

Logan Sargeant and Sergio Perez have led calls for a review into Formula 1's "joke" penalty points system.

Ewan Gale Ronald Vording
Edited:
Sergio Perez, Red Bull Racing RB20, leads Daniel Ricciardo, VCARB 01, Carlos Sainz, Ferrari SF-24, and Oscar Piastri, McLaren MCL38
Drivers are handed penalty points in addition to sporting penalties if the stewards deem an incident necessary, with an accumulation of 12 points over a 12-month rolling period resulting in a race ban.
Kevin Magnussen's recent spate of punishments has seen the Haas driver move perilously close to that mark, with 10 points to his name - the latest of which were added after the Miami Grand Prix.
But the application of points across varying types of penalty has raised concern amongst drivers.
Sargeant was slapped with two penalty points at the Chinese Grand Prix after being deemed guilty of a safety car infringement, having been marginally behind Nico Hulkenberg at the Safety Car 1 line as the Haas emerged from a pistol.
But the Williams driver believes that, with more serious driving infringements not being punished with license points, the system has become a "joke".
Asked by Motorsport.com whether he felt the penalty points system needs changing, Sargeant replied: "I think mine [in China] was extremely frustrating.
"The penalty is one thing. To get penalty points for what it was, was a bit of a joke. I think a lot worse things happen throughout the weekend that you just get reprimanded for.
Logan Sargeant, Williams FW46

Logan Sargeant, Williams FW46

Photo by: Andy Hone / Motorsport Images

"I've had people in qualifying slow down in front of me, nearly have huge crashes, and nothing happens. But then when I cross the line at the same time as someone else and you can't even see it, you get two penalty points and I think it's not a great direction to be heading in."
Before Magnussen's run-ins with the Miami GP stewards, Perez was at the top of the penalty points leaderboard.
Giving his response, the Red Bull driver explained: "I think that already the penalties, sometimes you already pay the consequences for that and to add some penalty points, and given that we have now more races, it's something that definitely should be looked at.
"Every incident, if you see all the points that every driver gets, there are a lot of points that are probably over the line, but the rule is there.
"But hopefully, in the future, it's something that can be reviewed."
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