F1 | Pilots are pushing for a review of license points

In recent weeks the question of points on the license has become increasingly more alive again, given that Kevin Magnussen reached ten points, just two points away from a possible disqualification for one race. The system was adopted a few years ago so that, beyond the sanctions on the track, the drivers were aware that repeated incorrect behavior over time could lead to a disqualification.

The system is clearly not perfect, but it represents an attempt to calm the minds of the drivers on the track and avoid excessively aggressive attitudes or repeated errors. Indeed, drivers receive penalty points in addition to sporting sanctions if stewards deem an incident necessary, with a maximum of twelve points accumulating in a twelve-month period.

Beyond that amount, a significant sanction is triggered, namely disqualification for a Grand Prix, leaving the team forced to find a replacement. However, the Magnussen case has caused some concern among drivers, reopening the issue of how many penalty points on the license a given accident should correspond to.

Obviously the issue is not limited to just the Danish Haas driver, who at the moment is the most at risk, but also to other riders, including Logan Sargeant. The American was punished with two penalty points during the Chinese GP having been found guilty of committing an infringement during a Safety Car period. In fact, Sargeant would have overtaken Nico Hulkenberg despite the fact that on the SC 1 line, the one that is taken as a reference, the driver from the Grove team was slightly behind the Haas German.

Given the extremely small margin, it would have been essentially impossible for Sargeant to understand from the car whether he was behind or ahead of Hulkenberg on the SC 1 line, thus having to rely on his team to have a clearer picture of the situation. The problem is that Williams also had problems and delays in searching for images, triggering the penalty for Sargeant.

The one who lost out was Sargeant who, innocent of his fault, not only had to serve a fine, but also had two points added to his licence, just one less than the maximum assignable by the FIA. In fact, awarding two points for such a situation represents a sort of imbalance in the system, given that three points generally sanction the most important incidents. Williams herself believes that, with the most serious driving offenses sometimes being punished with no license points, or only a low amount, the system has become a “joke”.

When asked by Motorsport.com if he thought the system should be changed, Sargeant replied: “I think my [in Cina] was extremely frustrating.

Logan Sargeant, Williams FW46

Photo by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images

“The penalty is one thing. Receiving penalty points for what it was, was a bit of a joke. I think that during the weekend much worse things happen for which you are simply scolded. In qualifying it happened to me that someone slows down in front of me, almost has an accident and nothing happens in terms of a penalty and then when I cross the SC line at the same time as someone else, without even being able to see it, you get two penalty points and I think it’s not. a good direction to take.”

Before the Miami Grand Prix, Perez led the penalty points standings. The Mexican underlined how, beyond the issue of sanctions, the calendar is now becoming increasingly longer, so even a few points on the license can really make a difference: “I think that penalties, at times, already have important consequences. But adding penalty points, and given that we now have more races, it is something that should definitely be taken into consideration and reviewed.”

“Every accident, if you look at all the points that each driver receives, there are many points that are probably over the limit, but that’s the rule. But we hope that in the future we can revisit the issue.”