Formula One’s 2026 season set to open with disciplinary concerns

December 23, 2025 Oliver Obel

Formula One will open its 2026 campaign in Melbourne on March 6, but for some drivers, the season’s most pressing concern has little to do with new regulations or car performance. Instead, it is the sport’s penalty-point system and the consequences that carry over from previous years that could shape the opening rounds.

The FIA’s disciplinary framework is designed to promote consistency and safety, yet it often places younger drivers under particular strain. That reality is likely to be tested early next season.

Bearman walks a fine line

Haas driver Ollie Bearman arrives in 2026 with momentum and a warning attached. In his first full Formula One season, the British rookie scored 41 points, finished 13th in the drivers’ standings and narrowly outperformed veteran teammate Esteban Ocon.

The numbers, however, come with an asterisk. Bearman collected 10 penalty points across the season, leaving him just two short of an automatic one-race ban under FIA regulations, which mandate a suspension if a driver reaches 12 points within a 12-month period.

His most recent penalty was issued at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, where stewards handed Bearman a five-second time penalty for changing direction more than once while defending. That decision added another point to his record. Liam Lawson, Yuki Tsunoda and Lance Stroll were also penalised during the season finale, illustrating how quickly marginal incidents can draw scrutiny.

For Bearman, the timing is uncomfortable. According to FIA documentation, his next penalty points will not expire until May 23, 2026. Any misjudgment in the opening races would therefore trigger an immediate ban, potentially disrupting Haas’ early-season plans.

When past incidents resurface

Bearman is not the only driver affected by lingering discipline. Autosport and Motorsport.com have reported that Valtteri Bottas will serve a five-place grid penalty at his first race back in Formula One when he returns with Cadillac in 2026.

The penalty stems from a collision with Kevin Magnussen during Bottas’ final appearance for Sauber in the 2024 season. Under FIA rules, such sanctions remain enforceable even after a driver steps away from full-time competition.

Bottas’ return, alongside Sergio Perez, will expand the grid to 22 drivers and add experience to a field already in transition.

Small margins, early consequences

The opening phase of a new Formula One era rarely allows for patience. Teams are gathering data, drivers are pushing limits, and mistakes are often punished quickly. In that environment, disciplinary issues can become more disruptive than mechanical failures.

For Bearman, the challenge is not speed that has already been established but control. With his penalty points unlikely to reset until deep into the season, restraint may prove as valuable as outright pace when the lights go out in Australia.

Sources: FIA Formula One Sporting Regulations, Autosport; Motorsport.com