Russell makes FIA demand to combat penalty crisis

George Russell has demanded the FIA 'adapts' and rethinks its penalty-points system in F1.

Drivers are handed points on their licences for a variety of misdemeanours across a grand prix weekend, with a total of 12 in a 12-month period leading to a race ban.

Although this has not happened since the system was introduced eight years ago in 2014, Pierre Gasly is perilously close to a ban.

The French driver is currently on 10 points ahead of his switch to Alpine and needs to negotiate the opening seven races of 2023 almost without error.

Grand Prix Drivers' Association director Russell has revealed conversations with the FIA have taken place on this topic, with the situation under review over the coming months.

"They have expressed to us that they will have the conversation in the off-season and review all of this," said the Mercedes driver.

"There is a lot to review this [past] season in many different regards so the FIA are going to have a busy off-season.

"But in sport, you have got to be ready and able to adapt.

"You do have these regulations in place and it does only take one incident to realise that regulation isn't quite right.

"We need to have the capability to change things or take penalty points away afterwards if we all agree it was incorrect."