![\"Leclerc](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/1754472489_289_XPB_1366336_HiRes.jpg\")
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tCharles Leclerc and George Russell battle for position during the 2025 Formula 1 Hungarian Grand Prix. Image: Charniaux \/ XPB Images<\/p>\n
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tCharles Leclerc and George Russell battle for position during the 2025 Formula 1 Hungarian Grand Prix. Image: Charniaux \/ XPB Images<\/p>\n
The incident occurred late in the race as Russell dived down the inside of Turn 1 while battling Leclerc for third place.<\/p>\n
The Ferrari driver was already hit with a five-second time penalty during the race for \u201cerratic driving,\u201d a sanction that didn\u2019t impact his fourth-place finish but has now been followed by a superlicence penalty point.<\/p>\n
Leclerc came under scrutiny for appearing to make two defensive moves on the main straight in a bid to fend off the Mercedes. While Russell completed the pass without contact, the FIA deemed Leclerc\u2019s actions excessive.<\/p>\n
\u201cCar 63 moved to overtake Car 16 on the inside into Turn 1. Car 16 moved towards Car 63 on the main straight before braking and subsequently moved a second time, now under braking, nearly causing a collision with Car 63,\u201d the stewards said in their official report.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Stewards consider both moves combined to constitute erratic driving.\u201d<\/p>\n
So close to contact! \ud83d\ude35<\/p>\n
Russell gets past Leclerc and into the podium places \ud83e\udd49#F1<\/a> #HungarianGP<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/nZC8vsvoCj<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Formula 1 (@F1) August 3, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n Alongside the time penalty, the 27-year-old was given one penalty point \u2014 his first of the current 12-month window.<\/p>\n Leclerc admitted post-race that his move was \u201con the limit\u201d but was unfazed by the punishment.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t have much [of an] opinion about it,\u201d he said. \u201cI felt like I moved before braking and then I braked, obviously angling my car towards the apex, which is normally what I do.<\/p>\n \u201cBut I can imagine George being quite vocal on the radio. It\u2019s normally the case.\u201d<\/p>\n Russell, who also has one penalty point in the current 12-month window, was less impressed.<\/p>\n \u201cYou can\u2019t just brake and turn to avoid somebody because you\u2019re already at the limit of that grip,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cSo I made my intentions really clear, dive into the inside and he moved after he had committed to braking, which is not allowed in the rules.\u201d<\/p>\n Pierre Gasly also received his first penalty points of the season in Hungary for an incident with Carlos Sainz, after forcing the Williams driver off-track at Turn 4 in a move the stewards deemed \u201cwholly\u201d his fault. He was also handed a 10-second time penalty during the race.<\/p>\n Introduced in 2014, F1\u2019s penalty points system is designed to deter repeated rule-breaking by tracking driver infractions throughout the season.<\/p>\n Drivers receive between one and three points per offence, and any driver who accumulates 12 points within a 12-month period is automatically handed a one-race ban. Points expire exactly one year after they are issued.<\/p>\n With Leclerc and Gasly now on the board, only Esteban Ocon, Fernando Alonso, Gabriel Bortoleto, Lewis Hamilton and Isack Hadjar remain on zero penalty points in the current 12-month window.<\/p>\n Max Verstappen, who came perilously close to a race ban<\/a> after reaching 11 penalty points following the Spanish Grand Prix, still tops the list with nine. He sits one ahead of Oliver Bearman on eight.<\/p>\n To date, Kevin Magnussen remains the only driver to receive a race ban under the system, after reaching the 12-point threshold last season<\/a>.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t