George Russell has voiced his concern about a rule which threatens to suspend drivers from competing due to the standard of their driving
The FIA introduced the rule in 2014 which hands penalty points for issues or mistakes on track including causing crashes, exceeding track limits or other misdemeanours. The Mercedes star expects the controversial F1 rule to be changed ahead of the 2023 season.
The rule states that if a driver accumulates more than 12 points over the course of a 12-month period, they will then be be banned from one race. Last season no drivers gathered 12 points, but Alpine member Pierre Gasly has accumulated 10 points and is two points off the dreaded mark. He will not lose any for the first six races of 2023.
Russell said he doesn't put the Frenchman in the category of a 'dangerous or reckless driver' and so shouldn't face a ban, even if he met the 12 penalty points mark.
Russell told RacingNews365.com : "Conversations have been had and I think the FIA will definitely review the points system. 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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Russell, who is director of the Grand Prix Drivers Association, took his first victory in F1 at the Brazilian Grand Prix last season and has previously questioned the reasoning behind the penalty points being awarded.
Speaking last November the British driver added: "I think it was around Barcelona, where some drivers picked up penalty points for nothing of an incident. So I hope (Gasly) he doesn't get a race ban because he certainly doesn't deserve one. If he somehow does manage to get 12 penalty points, there needs to be some exemption because the rules aren't in the right place in that regard."
Russell, formerly with Williams, is preparing for his second season with Mercedes after finishing in a career-best fourth place in the driver's championship last season. The 24-year-old Brit is unsure what penalty points are handed out for and suggests that the reprimands ruling works better to punish poor driving.
"I am still not actually sure on the ruling for reprimands because I am not too sure whether I have collected any this year and I have penalty points," Russell added. "I think it is five reprimands and you get a grid penalty? I think that works quite well.
“I have not looked into the details for what exactly you get the penalty points for but for sure, the small sporting infringements, they are not dangerous to result in a race ban. It should only be down to reckless driving."
