F1 drivers criticize penalty points, seek change for 2023

By MAURICIO SAVARESE
AP Sports Writer

SAO PAULO (AP) — Some Formula One drivers are frustrated with the sport’s penalty points system after stricter rules for this season have put them at risk of earning a race ban. AlphaTauri driver Pierre Gasly is only two points short of getting a ban and said Thursday that puts him in a tough position going into this weekend’s Brazilian Grand Prix. Gasly tops the list with 10 penalty points and a driver has to sit out a race if he earns 12 points in a 12-month span. The penalty points system was introduced in F1 at the start of the 2014 season, but no driver has received a ban yet.