Russell suggests F1 penalty points rethink with Gasly on brink of ban
The rule, which was introduced in 2014, states that any driver who accumulates 12 penalty points over a 12-month period must sit out the next race.
Although Sebastian Vettel and Romain Grosjean both came close, no F1 driver has reached the total since the rule came into force.
However, new Alpine driver Gasly finds himself at risk of spending a weekend on the sidelines after racking up 10 points.
As things stand, Gasly will have to keep a clean record across the opening six races of the 2023 season to avoid picking up a ban, with his next points not due to be wiped off until 22 May, the day after the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix.
With Gasly treading on thin ice, several drivers have called for a rethink to the system, including Mercedes’ Russell, who is also a director of the Grand Prix Drivers’ Association (GPDA).
Russell revealed conversations have already taken place with F1’s governing body the FIA about the matter.
"Conversations have been had and I think the FIA will definitely review the points system," Russell told. RacingNews365.com.
"If any driver was to receive a race ban, it needs to be for something pretty damn serious, and I definitely don't put Pierre in the category of a dangerous or reckless driver.
"A number of his penalty points have been through non-dangerous driving [such as exceeding track limits or dropping too far behind the Safety Car queue], so it would be a shame to see him take a race ban.
"Even if he were to get those 12 points, I think we need to reconsider it."
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