2023 F1 Season - Time Penalties

Hey F1 fans, let's revisit the 2023 F1 season and look at all the time penalties the drivers got. First penalty that come on my mind is Carlos Sainz's 5-second penalty at the Australian Grand Prix, many of you might agree with me (may be not) that I thought that penalty was a bit harsh. Esteban Ocon also found himself in a bit of hot water in the opening Bahrain race, racking up multiple penalties. Oh, don't forget the track limits in Austria 🙂

Let's dive into these moments and more, exploring the time penalties that made the 2023 season one for the books.

Bahrain Grand Prix

5 SECOND TIME PENALTY FOR CAR 31 (OCO) - INACCURATE GRID POSITION
10 SECOND TIME PENALTY FOR CAR 31 (OCO) - SERVING TIME PENALTY INCORRECTLY 
5 SECOND TIME PENALTY FOR CAR 31 (OCO) - SPEEDING IN THE PIT LANE
5 SECOND TIME PENALTY FOR CAR 27 (HUL) - MULTIPLE TRACK LIMITS
10 SECOND TIME PENALTY FOR CAR 27 (HUL) - MULTIPLE TRACK LIMITS

Ocon faced a tough start with three penalties, a 5-second for an inaccurate grid position, another 10-second for incorrectly serving a penalty, and a third 5-second for speeding in the pit lane. Hulkenberg also had a challenging race, receiving two penalties for multiple track limits violations, first 5 seconds, then 10 seconds.

Saudi Arabian Grand Prix

5 SECOND TIME PENALTY FOR CAR 14 (ALO) - INCORRECT STARTING LOCATION
10 SECOND TIME PENALTY FOR CAR 14 (ALO) - SERVING PENALTY INCORRECTLY 

Alonso received two penalties, a 5-second for starting incorrectly and a 10-second for serving the penalty incorrectly.

Australian Grand Prix

5 SECOND TIME PENALTY FOR CAR 55 (SAI) - CAUSING A COLLISION

Sainz got a 5-second penalty for causing a collision, unfair in my opinion. He lost multiple places after the red flag restart.

Azerbaijan Grand Prix

None

Miami Grand Prix

5 SECOND TIME PENALTY FOR CAR 55 (SAI) - SPEEDING IN THE PIT LANE

Monaco Grand Prix

5 SECOND TIME PENALTY FOR CAR 27 (HUL) - CAUSING A COLLISION
5 SECOND TIME PENALTY FOR CAR 2 (SAR) - SPEEDING IN THE PIT LANE
5 SECOND TIME PENALTY FOR CAR 63 (RUS) - UNSAFE REJOIN
10 SECOND TIME PENALTY FOR CAR 27 (HUL) - SERVING PENALTY INCORRECTLY 

Hulkenberg had a rough race (again) with a 5-second penalty for causing a collision and a 10-second for serving a penalty incorrectly. Sargeant and Russell also got 5-second penalties for speeding in the pit lane and an unsafe rejoin, respectively.

Spanish Grand Prix

5 SECOND TIME PENALTY FOR CAR 22 (TSU) - FORCING ANOTHER DRIVER OFF THE TRACK

Canadian Grand Prix

5 SECOND TIME PENALTY FOR CAR 4 (NOR) - UNSPORTSMANLIKE BEHAVIOUR

Austrian Grand Prix

5 SECOND TIME PENALTY FOR CAR 44 (HAM) - TRACK LIMITS
5 SECOND TIME PENALTY FOR CAR 22 (TSU) - TRACK LIMITS
5 SECOND TIME PENALTY FOR CAR 31 (OCO) - UNSAFE RELEASE
5 SECOND TIME PENALTY FOR CAR 55 (SAI) - TRACK LIMITS
5 SECOND TIME PENALTY FOR CAR 23 (ALB) - TRACK LIMITS
5 SECOND TIME PENALTY FOR CAR 21 (DEV) - FORCING ANOTHER DRIVER OFF THE TRACK
5 SECOND TIME PENALTY FOR CAR 10 (GAS) - TRACK LIMITS
10 SECOND TIME PENALTY FOR CAR 22 (TSU) - 7 TRACK LIMITS
5 SECOND TIME PENALTY FOR CAR 2 (SAR) - TRACK LIMITS
5 SECOND TIME PENALTY FOR CAR 20 (MAG) - TRACK LIMITS

A series of 5-second penalties for Hamilton, Tsunoda, Ocon, Sainz, Albon, De Vries, and Gasly for track limits. Tsunoda received an additional 10-second penalty for 7 track limit breaches. Sargeant and Magnussen also got 5-second penalties for track limits.

British Grand Prix

5 SECOND TIME PENALTY FOR CAR 18 (STR) - CAUSING A COLLISION

Hungarian Grand Prix

5 SECOND TIME PENALTY FOR CAR 24 (ZHO) - CAUSING A COLLISION
5 SECOND TIME PENALTY FOR CAR 16 (LEC) - SPEEDING IN THE PIT LANE

Zhou and Leclerc each got a 5-second penalty, Zhou for causing a collision and Leclerc for speeding in the pit lane.

Belgian Grand Prix

None

Dutch Grand Prix

10 SECOND TIME PENALTY FOR CAR 40 (LAW) - IMPEDING
5 SECOND TIME PENALTY FOR CAR 10 (GAS) - SPEEDING IN THE PIT LANE
5 SECOND TIME PENALTY FOR CAR 22 (TSU) - CAUSING A COLLISION
5 SECOND TIME PENALTY FOR CAR 11 (PER) - SPEEDING IN THE PIT LANE

Lawson faced a 10-second penalty for impeding. Gasly, Tsunoda, and Perez received 5-second penalties for speeding in the pit lane, causing a collision, and speeding in the pit lane, respectively.

Italian Grand Prix

5 SECOND TIME PENALTY FOR CAR 63 (RUS) - LEAVING THE TRACK AND GAINING AN ADVANTAGE
5 SECOND TIME PENALTY FOR CAR 44 (HAM) - CAUSING A COLLISION
5 SECOND TIME PENALTY FOR CAR 2 (SAR) - CAUSING A COLLISION

Russell, Hamilton, and Sargeant each received a 5-second penalty. Russell for leaving the track and gaining an advantage, Hamilton and Sargeant for causing collisions.

Singapore Grand Prix

5 SECOND TIME PENALTY FOR CAR 14 (ALO) - FAILING TO FOLLOW RACE DIRECTORS INSTRUCTIONS – CROSSING THE LINE AT PIT ENTRY

Alonso was penalized with a 5-second penalty for failing to follow the Race Director’s instructions at the pit entry.

Japanese Grand Prix

5 SECOND TIME PENALTY FOR CAR 2 (SAR) - CAUSING A COLLISION
5 SECOND TIME PENALTY FOR CAR 11 (PER) - SAFETY CAR INFRINGEMENT
5 SECOND TIME PENALTY FOR CAR 11 (PER) - CAUSING A COLLISION

Qatar Grand Prix

10 SECOND TIME PENALTY FOR CAR 27 (HUL) - INCORRECT STARTING LOCATION
5 SECOND TIME PENALTY FOR CAR 11 (PER) - TRACK LIMITS
5 SECOND TIME PENALTY FOR CAR 11 (PER) - TRACK LIMITS
5 SECOND TIME PENALTY FOR CAR 18 (STR) - TRACK LIMITS
5 SECOND TIME PENALTY FOR CAR 10 (GAS) - TRACK LIMITS
5 SECOND TIME PENALTY FOR CAR 10 (GAS) - TRACK LIMITS
5 SECOND TIME PENALTY FOR CAR 23 (ALB) - TRACK LIMITS
5 SECOND TIME PENALTY FOR CAR 23 (ALB) - TRACK LIMITS
5 SECOND TIME PENALTY FOR CAR 18 (STR) - TRACK LIMITS
5 SECOND TIME PENALTY FOR CAR 10 (GAS) - TRACK LIMITS
5 SECOND TIME PENALTY FOR CAR 11 (PER) - TRACK LIMITS

Hulkenberg received a 10-second penalty for an incorrect starting location. Perez, Stroll, Gasly, and Albon were all penalized with 5-second penalties for track limits.

United States Grand Prix

5 SECOND TIME PENALTY FOR CAR 23 (ALB) - TRACK LIMITS

Mexico City Grand Prix

None

São Paulo Grand Prix

None

Las Vegas Grand Prix

LAP 1 TURN 1 INCIDENT 5 SECOND TIME PENALTY FOR CAR 1 (VER) - FORCING ANOTHER DRIVER OFF THE TRACK
5 SECOND TIME PENALTY FOR CAR 63 (RUS) - CAUSING A COLLISION

Verstappen and Russell both received 5-second penalties, Verstappen for forcing another driver off the track and Russell for causing a collision.

Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

5 SECOND TIME PENALTY FOR CAR 11 (PER) - CAUSING A COLLISION

Perez received a 5-second penalty for causing a collision but again I thought it was a bit harsh

Summary

In summary, the 2023 F1 season was marked by a significant number of time penalties, affecting several drivers across various races.

Esteban Ocon and Nico Hulkenberg appeared to have a particularly challenging season with multiple penalties. Ocon's penalties at the Bahrain Grand Prix, including incorrect grid position, incorrect serving of penalties, and speeding in the pit lane, set a precedent for his season. Similarly, Hulkenberg faced repeated penalties, particularly for multiple track limit violations.

Track limit violations were a common reason for penalties throughout the season. This consistent issue across the grid highlights the strict enforcement of track limits in the 2023 season and the challenges drivers faced in adhering to them.

Interestingly, several penalties were also given for procedural errors such as incorrect starting positions and incorrect penalty servicing, seen in cases like Fernando Alonso and Nico Hulkenberg. These are less about racing conduct and more about adherence to race procedures, hinting at possible areas for teams to focus on in terms of race strategy and compliance.