Formula 1's most notorious race bans

Watch your step, Max

Max Verstappen is treading on thin ice following his clash with George Russell at the Spanish Grand Prix, with a possible race ban looming large. At such a pivotal stage in the season, even the smallest mistake could cost him his shot at the Drivers' Championship. From now on, Verstappen has no margin for error — he’ll need to keep it clean, stay composed, and steer clear of controversy if he wants to stay in the title fight.

One away on his FIA Super Licence

Verstappen is currently on thin ice, sitting at eleven penalty points on his FIA Super Licence — just one shy of an automatic race ban, according to Motorsport. A suspension at this stage could derail his chances of defending the World Championship. If it happens, Verstappen would join a rare group of just eight drivers in Formula 1 history to receive a race ban. Here’s a look at the eight banned drivers, per the Formula 1 website.

A coalition against him

A union of drivers formed by James Hunt, Niki Lauda, Mario Andretti, Emerson Fittipaldi, and Jody Scheckter informed the FIA they would refuse to race unless Patrese was handed a race ban. The race went forward while the 24-year-old Patrese sat at the pit lane, despite getting a local judge to overturn the decision, reports ESPN.

Nigel Mansell - 1989

Known at Maranello as Ferrari's 'Il Leone,' Nigel Mansell, also faced a serious race ban following a slip at the pit lane during the 1989 Portuguese GP at Estoril. According to Motorsport, after completing 40 laps, the British driver went in for a tyre change only to miss his mark. He then reversed back into his pit crew — a strictly forbidden move.

Race ban and a fine

In the midst of the chaos, Mansell ignored the stewards black flag and rejoined the race, only to ram his car into Ayrton Senna's McLaren. A terrible manoeuvre that ended up costing Mansell a $50,000 fine alongside a race ban, reports Motorsport.

Eddie Irvine - 1994

The 1994 race season still remains a big favourite for many Formula 1 fans across the world. The energy on the tarmac would transmit over to the fans, sometimes pushing drivers beyond logical reasoning. The then 28-year-old Eddie Irvine faced a ban during the 1994 season after causing a major accident during the Brazilian GP.

Airborne accident

The accident caused by Irvine sent Marin Brundle into Jos Verstappen, sending him flying up in the air. No one was injured, and Irvine would end up seeing a three race ban.

Mika Hakkinen - 1994

Two time world champion Mika Hakkinen was also handed a crippling race ban following a major collision during the 1994 British GP. The McLaren driver was let off a three race ban despite crashing into Barrichello, but the FIA would change their stance after Hakkinen crashed into David Coulthard the following event.

Aggressive driving

Hakkinen's aggressive driving caused Coulthard to spin sideways into the barriers, while also colliding with multiple other cars. The FIA acted swiftly and issued the ban right after.

Team orders

According to the Formula 1 website, Benetton told him to ignore the flag as the team appealed the penalty to the stewards. Nevertheless, Schumacher was shown a black flag for failing to serve his penalty. Benetton's move completely backfired and resulted in a three race ban for the German.

Jacques Villeneuve - 1997

There seems to be a strange pattern between championship winners and race bans… Jacques Villeneuve was no stranger to this either, earning himself a one race ban. Ironically, this ban wouldn't impact his final result, where he conquered the 1997 title for Williams.

Ignoring flags

During the Japanese GP, Villeneuve failed to slow down during a yellow flag (alongside other drivers) earning himself a one race ban. Having already committed the same offence on three earlier occasions, his ban was brought forward, unlike the other drivers.

Romain Grosjean - 2012

Romain Grosjean was handed a race ban back in 2012 for an incident at the Belgium GP that saw both Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso wiped out of the race on the opening lap. The Lotus driver was launched airborne but didn't suffer any major injuries.

Flying collision

The chaotic accident was deemed Grosjean's fault and was issued a one race ban by the FIA, missing out on the following Italian GP. The accident “eliminated leading championship contenders from the race and was an extremely serious breach of the regulations,” noted one race official, according to Motorsport.

Kevin Magnussen - 2024

Finally, one of the most recent incidents that resulted in a serious race ban involved Kevin Magnussen. In 2024, the Haas driver collected a total of twelve penalty points on his FIA Super Licence after five separate incidents throughout the season.