Penalties and Stewards
Who makes the decisions, what a five-second penalty means and how penalty points add up — a short guide to the stewards.
Last updated: October 1, 2026
Who are the stewards?
Incidents on track are judged by the stewards, usually a panel of four that includes an experienced former driver. They review video, telemetry and team radio, hear from the drivers if needed and make the decision.
The race director runs the session itself and is in charge of flags, the Safety Car and red flags.
| Penalty | What it means |
|---|---|
| Warning | Goes on record; repeat offences can lead to a heavier penalty. |
| Reprimand | An official warning. A driver who collects five driving-related reprimands in a season gets a 10-place grid penalty. |
| 5 or 10 seconds | Served at a pit stop before any work is done on the car; added to race time if not served. |
| Drive-through | The driver passes through the pit lane at the speed limit without stopping. |
| Stop-go | The driver stops in the pits for 10 seconds; no work may be done on the car. |
| Grid penalty | The driver starts the next race further back than their qualifying position. |
| Disqualification | The driver is removed from the results. |
| Race ban | The driver misses the next race (for example after reaching 12 penalty points). |
Penalty points
Penalty points can be added to a driver's super licence for incidents judged dangerous or unsporting. A driver who reaches 12 points within 12 months misses the next race. Points expire 12 months after they are given.
Track limits
Drivers must stay within the track limits marked by the white lines; having all four wheels beyond the line is an offence. In the race, a driver is shown the black-and-white flag after three offences, and further offences can lead to a time penalty. In qualifying, a lap time set while exceeding track limits is deleted.
Component limits and parc fermé
Each driver may only use a limited number of power unit components per season. Going over the limit brings a grid penalty, which is why some drivers start from the back in the second half of the season.
Once qualifying begins, the cars are under parc fermé rules: teams can only make limited changes to the set-up. If a car is changed outside the rules, its driver starts the race from the pit lane.
Sources
The information in this section was checked against the sources below and written in our own words.
This guide is a plain-language summary written by SectorBeat and is not official. The FIA's published regulations always take precedence.