Under the rules, a driver will receive a race ban if they receive 12 in as many months. Ex-Haas driver Kevin Magnussen became the first to fall foul of this provision last year, missing the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
While Alonso and Verstappen are both potentially two infractions away from a suspension, the world champion’s situation is more concerning. His points won’t expire until the end of June.
That means he’ll have to navigate 11 races – just under half the season – under threat.
Alonso, by contrast, should edge towards safety just after round two in China, provided he isn’t involved in any early incidents.
It’s worth noting that none of 2025’s other title contenders have any immediate penalty points concerns.
McLaren duo Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris are both only a third of the way there.
This, then, could be an important storyline in the upcoming championship fight.
Verstappen ran up his tally at the end of the year with four offences in the last five races.
Half of Verstappen’s points stem from incidents with Norris – the first in Austria and the second in Mexico.
A VSC breach in Brazil and the controversial George Russell impeding call in Qatar account for one apiece.
Christian Horner would have been frustrated to see Verstappen reach eight points after hitting Oscar Piastri in the season-ending Abu Dhabi GP. The title race was long over by that point.
Looking at the table above, it’s noteworthy just how many races muddied their record in the last two races.
This partly reflects the arrival of new race director Rui Marques, who replaced Niels Wittich in November.
According to Motorsport.com, Marques will take a ‘hawkish’ approach to F1 governance next year, as will the FIA stewards.
There will be a renewed fervour to the distribution of penalty points in 2025.
The drivers will have to get used to ‘harsh’ sanctions, with Verstappen most at risk. He’s known for his controversial wheel-to-wheel tactics, testing the limits of the rulebook.
In addition to stricter on-track officiating, the FIA have implemented divisive new rules for off-track conduct.
Those who use bad language or criticise the governing body face severe punishments.
A driver who commits three such offences could face a one-month suspension from the championship, along with a points penalty.
Verstappen ignited the behaviour debate when he swore during a press conference at the Singapore GP.
McLaren CEO Zak Brown says there’s ‘no reason to swear’ in that environment. Verstappen had to carry out community service in Rwanda when he attended the end-of-year prizegiving.
Verstappen met with Mohammed Ben Sulayem at last year’s Qatar GP to discuss the issue. However, he doesn’t seem to have dampened the president’s personal crusade.
