Yuki Tsunoda has called for Formula 1 to scrap the current penalty points system as the AlphaTauri star moves closer to being slapped with a race ban.
Drivers pick up points for a wide range of reasons whenever they break the rules – it can happen even if they get no other form of penalty. Under current regulations, they are allowed to accumulate up to 11 points in a 12 month period without incurring further punishment.
As soon as that 12th point is collected, that racer must serve an automatic one-race ban. It is a punishment that no F1 driver has ever faced, though there have been several examples of those who have come close.
Lando Norris was on 10 points after the Austrian Grand Prix last season, leaving him on a tightrope. In response, his McLaren team called for the rules to change, with chief executive Zak Brown telling reporters: "I can't remember any incident where Lando drove dangerously.
"We wrote to the FIA and Formula 1 with seven races to go and said Lando pushing [Sergio] Perez off the track without touching him is one race away from losing his licence. I think the points should be about dangerous driving, not racing incidents."
And Tsunoda shares that point of view, after revealing that he currently has eight points against his name. Asked in Budapest which F1 rule he would get rid of if he had the choice, he was quick to select the penalty points system.
"I don't know but probably penalty points, probably," said the Japanese racer. "Currently I'm in P1! So something like that. Most of things I get in, like, free practice, traffic things, so probably those things you know.
"I think we discussed it last time in the drivers' briefing. Have to be more probably big things, if I get like more penalty points. And yeah so far I'm having a quite a lot so yeah that's it."
