Penalties and stewards

Who judges incidents, what punishments they can hand out, and how teams can challenge them.

• The stewardsThe stewards are the panel of officials who judge incidents and hand out penalties at each Grand Prix. One of them is usually a former racing driver.
• Types of penaltiesEvery penalty the stewards can give in F1, from 5-second time penalties and drive-throughs to grid drops, reprimands, disqualification and race bans.
• Penalty points and race bansF1 drivers collect penalty points on their super licence for driving offences. Reach 12 within 12 months and they're banned from the next race.
• Track limitsDrivers must keep at least part of the car within the white lines. Break the rule in qualifying and the lap is deleted. In a race, three strikes bring a warning flag and a fourth brings a penalty.
• Collisions and who gets blamedHow the stewards decide who caused a crash, what the driving standards guidelines say about overtaking on the inside and outside, and what counts as a racing incident.
• Protests, appeals and the right of reviewTeams can challenge decisions in three ways: a protest to the stewards, a petition for a right of review with new evidence, or an appeal to the FIA's International Court of Appeal.
• DisqualificationA driver can be removed from the results for a technical breach, such as an underweight car, a worn plank or a missing fuel sample, or for very serious driving offences.
• Driver conduct and finesWhat F1 drivers can be fined or penalised for off the track, including swearing, abusing officials, political statements and breaking safety equipment rules, and how those rules changed in 2025.