Verstappen treads on thin ice: These F1 drivers were suspended

The most recent suspension was for Kevin Magnussen, who collected twelve penalty points in 2024. The tipping point came at Monza, where he hit Pierre Gasly during a failed overtaking manoeuvre. That tap earned him two additional penalty points, on top of previous penalties for collisions in Saudi Arabia, China, and Miami. Magnussen was furious about the decision and felt there was nothing wrong, but the rules are clear: twelve points means automatically watching one race from the sidelines.

Grosjean was the first driver in nearly two decades to get a race ban in 2012. At Spa, he caused a massive crash on the first lap that took out Hamilton, Alonso, and Perez among others. The FIA judged harshly: Grosjean was given a suspension for the next race in Monza and was replaced by Jerome d’Ambrosio, who now leads the Ferrari Driver Academy.

Villeneuve received a suspension during the title fight with Michael Schumacher in 1997, after speeding under yellow during the qualifying in Japan. Since it was his fourth similar infraction, his punishment was no longer suspended. Williams appealed, allowing him to race, but his fifth place was later annulled.

At Silverstone in 1994, Schumacher received a black flag for ignoring a penalty but continued to drive. A disqualification and a two-race suspension followed later. This suspension was invoked several weeks later, forcing him to miss the races in Italy and Portugal.

Hakkinen also received a race ban that year. First, he was given a conditional suspension after an incident at Silverstone, but that was immediately activated when he caused a pile-up in Hockenheim. The Finnish McLaren driver had to watch the next race from the sidelines.

In his debut season with Jordan, Irvine was suspended after a multi-car incident in Brazil. His team appealed, but this backfired: the penalty was increased from one to three races. The FIA wanted to send a clear signal after a series of reckless actions by the Irishman.

Mansell ignored a black flag at Estoril after reversing in the pit lane – which is not allowed. Then, he rammed Ayrton Senna off the track in a reckless action, earning him a suspension and a fine of 50,000 dollars. The Brit had to miss the Spanish GP as a result.

After a fatal start crash in Monza, where Ronnie Peterson was killed, Patrese was blamed as the main culprit. Several top drivers threatened not to race in the next race if he was not suspended. The Italian court even intervened to prevent the suspension, but to no avail: Patrese was banned from participating in the US GP.

After his collision with George Russell in Spain, Verstappen is now on eleven penalty points – one away from the twelve-point limit. The upcoming races will be crucial: only when points fall off, is Verstappen safe from suspension. The first points for the Red Bull Racing driver expire at the end of June.