F1 News: Driver Dangerously Close to Race Ban After Penalty-Filled Miami Grand Prix

Kevin Magnussen edged closer to an FIA-imposed race ban after accumulating significant penalty points over the Miami Grand Prix weekend.

May 3, 2024; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; RB driver Daniel Ricciardo (3) races into turn three / John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports

The Miami Grand Prix was marred by multiple penalties, but it was Kevin Magnussen who bore the brunt, moving dangerously close to a mandatory race ban. The Haas driver's weekend was plagued by infractions that nudged him near the FIA's threshold.

This weekend's Miami Grand Prix left Haas driver Kevin Magnussen teetering on the edge of a race suspension. A series of driving infractions accumulated enough penalty points to place him just two shy of the 12-point cutoff that triggers an FIA-mandated race ban.

The drama unfolded progressively, beginning during the sprint race, where Magnussen and Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton tangled not once, but twice. Initially, Magnussen darted off-track at a chicane while fending off Hamilton for eighth position. For leaving the track and gaining an advantage, he was handed a 10-second penalty. The duo's second clash on the 14th lap saw Magnussen allegedly push Hamilton off the track, culminating in another 10-second punishment for the aggressive maneuver.

But Magnussen's tribulations didn't end there. During the main race, he clashed with Logan Sargeant from Williams, an incident that resulted in yet another 10-second penalty. Perhaps the most severe oversight occurred when Magnussen entered the pit lane to serve his penalty. However, the penalty was not served correctly so this counted as entering the pits without changing the tires which resulted in a 20-second penalty from the race stewards.

The Danish driver accumulated five additional penalty points across the weekend, raising his tally to a precarious total of 10 on his FIA Super Licence. This accumulation is critically close to the 12-point limit, beyond which a race ban becomes inevitable.

The system of penalty points was established precisely to monitor and curb unsafe and unsporting behavior by drivers over a rolling 12-month period. Accumulating 12 points triggers an automatic one-race suspension.

The Miami GP wasn't just tough on Magnussen. Other drivers faced their share of disciplinary actions too. Carlos Sainz, for instance, tangled with Oscar Piastri, which dropped the Ferrari driver from fourth to fifth in the Grand Prix after a five-second penalty was applied. This incident also marked an additional penalty point added to Sainz's licence.