Haas has not nominated a driver to replace Romain Grosjean if he incurs a race ban, despite him being just two penalty points away from an automatic suspension.

Over the last 12 months Grosjean has collected 10 of the 12 points necessary to trigger an automatic ban. He will not have any points deducted until after Sunday’s Mexican Grand Prix.

If Grosjean were to pick up two penalty points during the course of Friday and Saturday his ban would come into force for Sunday’s race.

Neither of Haas’s reserve drivers – F2 racer Arjun Maini and ex-F2 pilot turned IndyCar driver Santino Ferrucci – have enough FIA superlicence points to be able to race in F1. But Haas team principal Guenther Steiner told RaceFans in an exclusive interview he hasn’t lined up a replacement for Grosjean if he needs it.

“I don’t know yet,” said Steiner. “I cross that bridge when I get to it.”

However Steiner denied he would leave the seat empty if he has the opportunity to find a replacement. “I’ll find somebody,” he said. “I know enough people. There’s enough people around here.”

“I’m comfortable that he won’t get a penalty, put it this way,” Steiner added.

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Grosjean also has a three-place grid drop for this weekend’s race as a result of the collision with Charles Leclerc which earned him his 10th penalty point.

FIA race director Charlie Whiting said the purpose of penalty points is to “track a driver’s record” and are “completely separate” of the penalties drivers are given for incidents.

“When you have a penalty you always get a penalty point except for a reprimand, you don’t get penalty points for reprimands.

“I know some people are a bit confused: Applying points is not a penalty as such. He got a penalty which was three grid places so it was a fairly normal sort of thing and he’ll just have to serve it at the next race.”

Grosjean’s 10 penalty points equals the most any driver has ever collected. Daniil Kvyat reached 10 during the Hungarian Grand Prix last year.

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2019 F1 season