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An All NFC North Team Ahead of the 2026 NFL Season

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Detroit Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs celebrates a touchdown against the Baltimore Ravens with wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown and the offensive line during the first half at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, Md. on Monday, Sept. 22, 2025.

Most think that the Minnesota Vikings will do poorly within the NFC North, a juggernaut of a division. Maybe that proves true.

What’s of interest here, though, is constructing the best possible team by using the talent across the division’s four teams: the Chicago Bears, Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers, and Minnesota Vikings. The offense will be in 11 personnel and the defense in a 3-4 nickel formation. Check out what that fictional team could look like if we siphoned off the best players.

For whatever it’s worth, Dan Campbell would be the HC. Brian Flores would be the DC and Ben Johnson the OC.

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The Best NFC North Team Ahead of 2026

Offense

Christian Darrisaw lines up to block for the Vikings against the Eagles.
Minnesota Vikings tackle Christian Darrisaw (71) lines up against the Eagles on September 19, 2022, at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports.
LT: Christian Darrisaw (MIN) LG: Joe Thuney (CHI) C: Gade Mays (DET) RG: Jonah Jackson (CHI) RT: Penei Sewell (DET)
QB: Caleb Williams (CHI)
RB: Jahmyr Gibbs (DET)
WR: Justin Jefferson (MIN) WR: Amon-Ra St. Brown (DET) TE: Colston Loveland (CHI) WR: Jameson Williams (DET)

Team Player Tally:

  • Chicago Bears: 4
  • Detroit Lions: 5
  • Green Bay Packers: 0
  • Minnesota Vikings: 2

Commentary and Quibbles:

It’s odd, isn’t it, when the Bears finish high in a thought exercise for strong talent on offense. Many will insist that Jordan Love deserves the QB spot. Maybe that’s true, but Caleb Williams is far more talented.

The best players are Penei Sewell, Jahmyr Gibbs, and Justin Jefferson. Good luck with those three. Choosing a third receiver was tough since a lot of players are good without being truly great; Jameson Williams beat out Jordan Addison, Jauan Jennings, Rome Odunze, and Luther Burden.

OT Zach Tom deserved a spot but didn’t get in ahead of the OTs included above.

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— READ MORE: Max Brosmer Still Has Hope to Stick Around Twin Cities
— READ MORE: Top Vikings Rumor Soon to Be Put to Test
— READ MORE: Pass Rusher with Brian Flores Connection Still a Free Agent

Defense

Andrew Van Ginkel lines up before a play against the Seahawks.
Minnesota Vikings linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel lines up before the snap at Lumen Field as Seattle’s offense prepares for another play during a late-season NFC matchup. On Nov. 30, 2025, Van Ginkel readies himself across from the Seahawks while continuing his versatile role within Brian Flores’ defense on the road that afternoon. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-Imagn Images.
EDGE: Micah Parsons (GB) DT: Jalen Redmond (MIN) DT: Alim McNeil (DET) EDGE: Aidan Hutchinson (DET)
LB: Jack Campbell (DET) LB: Andrew Van Ginkel (MIN)
CB: Jaylon Johnson (CHI) CB: Keisean Nixon (GB) FS: Xavier McKinney (GB) CB/S: Brian Branch (DET) CB: DJ Reed (DET)

Team Player Tally:

  • Chicago Bears: 1
  • Detroit Lions: 5
  • Green Bay Packers: 3
  • Minnesota Vikings: 2

Commentary and Quibbles:

The Lions and Packers lead the North for overall defenders. Micah Parsons is the single best defender and it’s not particularly close.

That being said, all of Aidan Hutchinson, Jack Campbell, Xavier McKinney, and others flirt with elite. Andrew Van Ginkel got kicked to off-ball linebacker in this fictional scenario, but maybe Devin Bush should get that spot.

The secondary here would be elite. McKinney is a fantastic center fielder. The CB trio could fly under the radar but those are all excellent players. Maybe the weakest spot is at DT. Do the Vikings see Caleb Banks become a force be the end of 2026?

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Senior Editor for Vikings Territory & PurplePTSD . Twitter & Bluesky: @VikingsGazette. Email: k.joudry[at]vikingsterritory[dot]com. Canadian. Jude 1:24-25.

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2025 Tour de France: Tadej Pogačar wins race for 3rd consecutive year, 5th time in his career

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Tadej Pogačar has done it again. The Slovenian cyclist has won the Tour de France for the third consecutive year. He’s won the race five times in his career.

Pogačar has now tied France’s Jacques Anquetil and Bernard Hinault, Eddy Merckx of Belgium and Spain’s Miguel Indurain for most Tour de France championships at five. Indurain remains the only cyclist to win the race five consecutive times, from 1991 to 1995.

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(Lance Armstrong won seven straight Tours de France from 1999 to 2005, but the International Cycling Union stripped him of those titles in 2012 due to alleged use of illegal performance-enhancing drugs, blood transfusions and schemes to deceive testing authorities.)

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Sly Boots wins 2026 ATC Thank You Stable Staff Handicap at Randwick

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Horse race at Royal Randwick with jockeys in colorful silks charging down the turf, crowdless stands in the background.

In the ATC Thank You Stable Staff Handicap (1800m) at Randwick, the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained Sly Boots initially took a commanding lead, only to be challenged strongly by Perfect Justice who surged down the centre of the track.

Adrian Bott, co-trainer of Sly Boots, confessed to moments of doubt as Perfect Justice closed the gap.

“I thought that the other horse (Perfect Justice) was going to go straight past us,” Bott said. “But to Sly Boots’ credit he really dug deep and found a way to win. He’s been up a while but has been racing very consistently without winning so he deserved to win this today.”

Sly Boots, the $4.80 second favourite, ridden by Rachel King, held off a determined Perfect Justice ($4.20) by a half-neck. The race favourite, Trapalanda ($3.50), finished a further three-quarters of a length behind in third.

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Jockey Rachel King also had concerns as Perfect Justice made his move.

“But Sly Boots saw him coming and he raised another effort,” King said. “I think the drier track helped and he really wanted to win today.”

Bott indicated that immediate plans for Sly Boots were undecided. The gelding has now amassed five wins and seven placings from 27 career starts, with his earnings exceeding $400,000.

“We might look at a similar type of race in the next couple of weeks,” Bott said.

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Perfect Justice, trained by John Sargent, continued his consistent winter form. This was his third second placing from his past four starts, with his only win in that period being a Midway event over 1600m where he narrowly defeated The Mona Lisa.

Excuses for Perfect Justice are scarce, although the gelding did sweep wide on the turn and embark on a long sustained run. In contrast, the winner benefited from saving ground by angling back towards the inside rail, a tactical advantage that likely proved critical given the slender margin separating the two competitors.

Place your bets on the next Randwick race with Australia’s top betting sites.

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Tadej Pogacar wins a record-equalling fifth Tour de France title

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PARIS — Tadej Pogacar won a record-equaling fifth Tour de France title on Sunday.

The 27-year-old Slovenian dominated this year’s race to join Belgian Eddy Merckx, Spaniard Miguel Indurain and Frenchmen Jacques Anquetil and Bernard Hinault as the only riders to win five Tours.

After finishing safely in Sunday’s 21st and final stage in Paris, Pogacar finished 6 minutes, 26 seconds over Belgian rider Remco Evenepoel in the overall standings.

Pogacar’s UAE Team Emirates XRG teammate Isaac Del Toro, a 22-year-old Mexican making his Tour debut, was third at 9:42 back from Pogacar, who smiled and held up his hand to signify his wins. His teammates then joined him as they stood proudly on the Champs-Élysées.

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Pogacar won five stages at this year’s race to take his impressive tally to 26 overall.

He tried to win on Sunday, too, but victory ultimately went to Dutchman Mathieu van der Poel, who just held off the chasing pack on the home straight for his second stage win at this year’s race and fourth overall.

Sunday’s 88.7-kilometre (55-mile) stage looped around Paris and was mostly processional, although less so than in previous years, which were usually entirely flat stages for sprinters and not for the rest of the peloton.

For the second straight year, the stage featured the hugely popular uphill climb through the Montmartre district, a sharp one-kilometre dash which riders tackled three times before finishing on the Champs-Élysées.

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It proved even too much for Pogacar, who could not match Van der Poel’s raw power in the closing stages.

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Kyle Shanahan car accident: 49ers coach injured before camp

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The San Francisco 49ers have officially reported to training camp but will begin building the foundation for the 2026 campaign with their head coach limited. The team announced in a statement Saturday that Kyle Shanahan was involved in a car accident last week and suffered non-life-threatening injuries.

Shanahan, 46, will still participate in team activities, but on a limited basis. Assistant head coach Chris Foerster and the team coordinators will handle the bulk of the head coach duties while Shanahan recuperates. In a press conference on Saturday, 49ers general manager John Lynch told reporters that he does not expect Shanahan to miss Week 1 of the regular season. 

Here is the full official statement from the 49ers:

“San Francisco 49ers Head Coach Kyle Shanahan was involved in a car accident last week where he suffered non-life-threatening injuries. Coach Shanahan will participate in team activities on a limited basis at the start of training camp while he recovers. Coach Shanahan and the 49ers organization would like to sincerely thank all first responders involved for their efforts and care.

Assistant Head Coach Chris Foerster along with team coordinators will handle head coach responsibilities during this period.”

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The accident occurred July 14 when Shanahan collided with an SUV near his Northern California home, per ESPN. While the injuries weren’t life-threatening, they were significant. ESPN reported that Shanahan broke his nose, three ribs and his hand, suffered a severe concussion and needed more than 40 stitches to his face.

Shanahan was taken by paramedics to a local hospital and released later that day. The other driver was not injured, according to Palo Alto Lt. Nicholas Martinez. He also told ESPN that drugs and alcohol were not involved, and both drivers cooperated with law enforcement.

Since the crash, Shanahan has been recovering at home and informed the coaching staff of the incident on Tuesday. He has yet to be cleared by doctors for full coaching duties and won’t be until his concussion symptoms subside.

Los Angeles Rams coach Sean McVay, who worked with Shanahan when they were assistants in Washington, said he’s spoken to the 49ers coach since the car accident. McVay, a fellow NFC West coach, said Shanahan has a great perspective on the accident and on his recovery. 

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“I have talked to him. My thoughts and prayers are with him and his family, and I know he’s got an incredible perspective on it all. And Kyle’s a stud. I have as much respect for him as anybody and he’s a friend of mine, and I love him and hope that he’s going to have a great recovery,” McVay said.

McVay expressed gratitude that the accident didn’t have a worse outcome and noted that Shanahan’s approach to his recovery is similar to how coaches run a team.

“Most importantly, thank God he and the other person involved are okay. Perspective is everything. We talk about that all the time as coaches, and everybody goes through different things,” McVay said. “I think the most important thing is that he’s on the road to recovery. His wife Mandy, and he’s got a beautiful family, and I think any time that something like that happens, it shakes you up a little bit.”

Shanahan is entering his 10th season as the 49ers’ head coach. Since being hired in 2017, he has become one of the league’s top coaches, compiling an 82-67 (.550) regular-season record and a 9-5 playoff mark. Under his leadership, San Francisco has made two Super Bowl appearances and is coming off a 12-5 regular-season campaign in 2025 that ended with a divisional-round loss to the eventual Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks.

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Former NFL Passer Gives Embattled Vikings QB Some Film Room Praise

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NFL: Chicago Bears at Denver Broncos
Sep 15, 2019; Denver, CO, USA; Chicago Bears quarterback Chase Daniel (4) in the second quarter against the Denver Broncos at Empower Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports

Former NFL passer Chase Daniel is now working as an analyst.

The long-time journeyman will be as qualified as essentially anyone to comment on the intricacies of the position. After all, Daniel soaked up a ton of coaching across the NFL, a workplace where he operated from 2009-2022. Better yet, Daniel worked alongside some of the great passers in recent NFL history. Very few know more about the position than him.

The Vikings Game on Sunday Will Probably Be Wild
Nov 20, 2022; Inglewood, California, USA; Los Angeles Chargers head coach Brandon Staley (center) talks with quarterback Justin Herbert (10) and quarterback Chase Daniel (4) in the first half against the Kansas City Chiefs at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports.

Consider the teams he played for within his time as a player: Washington Commanders, New Orleans Saints, Kansas City Chiefs, Philadelphia Eagles, Chicago Bears, Detroit Lions, and Los Angeles Chargers.

Nobody thinks he was as talented as Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers, or Patrick Mahomes. He nevertheless had an ability to stick around as a passer as somebody with more NFL addresses than a cat has lives.

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In the above video, Chase Daniel offers some nice praise to J.J. McCarthy despite the poor mechanics.

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— READ MORE: The Main Vikings Injury Concern in Training Camp
— READ MORE: Kevin O’Connell Has Consistently Praised 2 Coaches
— READ MORE: Vikings Fans Got Some Bad News Today

In particular, note the placement of the ball, something that Daniel discusses. To my eye, McCarthy could have done a hair better by putting the ball slightly closer to the middle of the field, but that’s a very minor quibble. The kid did a great job on that one.

As the former NFL passer indicates, the form still wasn’t perfect. Chase Daniel notes the leg kicking up, robbing the young fella of the power he could generate. How much more accurate could McCarthy be with his feet underneath him?

Vikings QB J.J. McCarthy in Green Bay in 2025
Nov 23, 2025; Green Bay, Wisconsin, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy (9) warms up prior to a game against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images.

The Vikings’ young fellas arrive at TCO Performance Center today. The nine-person draft class will be joined by a pile of undrafted players. In a couple of days, the rest of the team will arrive, meaning Vikings football really gets cooking on July 28th.

J.J. McCarthy, 23, is considered an underdog to remain as the QB1.

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Tim Tszyu reveals what Errol Spence Jr told him after retirement defeat

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Tim Tszyu defeated Errol Spence Jr in Sydney, Australia, this weekend, prompting the American to announce his retirement from boxing.

Spence ended three years of inactivity to return at middleweight, but looked a shadow of his former self as he bravely lasted the full 12 rounds in a wide unanimous decision defeat.

Tszyu gradually took control, using his size and steady pressure to wear Spence down over the course of the contest. After the fight, the 36-year-old from Dallas, Texas, confirmed his retirement, thanking fans and saying he felt fortunate to leave the sport with his “faculties intact”.

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“I’ve got my faculties intact. My money is good at working for itself. Everything’s good, man.

“I’ve got a beautiful family, and I thank God I’m gracious to leave this sport with my faculties intact and my family still by my side.”

Speaking after the fight, Tszyu revealed he took the opportunity to ask the “legend” Spence for some advice before the pair went their separate ways.

“Yeah, I spoke to him. Look, he’s a legend of the game. I actually asked him what’s one tip that you would give? He goes, ‘stay patient, when you’re not rushing in, you’re very dangerous. When you wait, you’re a very good counter puncher, and you’ve got very fast hands, very reactive.’”

Tszyu confirmed he now intends to remain at middleweight after feeling the benefits of competing without a gruelling cut to 154lbs. While a world title is now firmly in his sights, the Australian admitted defeating a fighter of Spence’s calibre may ultimately stand as the finest win of his career.

“I had sleepless nights thinking about, ‘What am I going to feel like facing a legend like that?’ But it was one hell of a show, and I understand why he’s one of the greats.

“I’d love to fight for a title. That’s what I’m aiming for. But I’ve got to say beating a great like Errol Spence tops a world title.”

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Yankees place Cody Bellinger on 10-day injured list with hamstring injury

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The New York Yankees will be missing yet another one of their top bats for the foreseeable future.

Star outfielder Cody Bellinger has been placed on the 10-day injured list with a left hamstring strain, the team announced Sunday.

Outfielder Spencer Jones has been recalled from triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in a corresponding move.

Bellinger suffered the injury in Saturday’s win over the Philadelphia Phillies. He was replaced defensively in the bottom of the eighth after tweaking his left hamstring while legging out a double in the top half of the frame. He stayed in the game to run but eventually was taken out for Max Schuemann.

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Bellinger was 2-for-4 with an RBI in the game before leaving.

The 31-year-old is in the midst of another strong season with New York. The 2019 NL MVP entered Saturday’s contest slashing .257/.349/.416 with 11 homers and 52 RBIs. He was also named the All-Star Game MVP.

The Yankees currently sit second in the AL East with a 59-45 record, despite being without key contributors Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton for significant portions of the season.

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Usyk predicts Anthony Joshua vs Tyson Fury after watching AJ be floored twice by Kristian Prenga

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After seeing Anthony Joshua suffer two knockdowns against Kristian Prenga, Oleksandr Usyk has delivered a knockout prediction for the Brit’s expected clash with Tyson Fury.

Their long-awaited heavyweight showdown is set to finally materialise later this year, with both former two-time world champions having completed their respective warm-up fights.

First to the stage was Fury, who encountered minimal difficulty as he banked seven rounds against the 46-year-old Mariusz Wach in Pattaya, Thailand, on Friday.

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But while Joshua, too, was seemingly facing a low-risk opponent on Saturday evening, the 36-year-old came remarkably close to suffering a first-round stoppage defeat in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

The initial knockdown arrived within 20 seconds of their contest, with ‘AJ’ hitting the canvas after getting caught with an unassuming right uppercut from Prenga.

He was then floored once more in the opening round, only to summon enough fighting spirit to engineer a second-round stoppage victory.

It was hardly the most convincing performance but, even so, Usyk has backed the 36-year-old to defeat Fury inside the distance.

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Speaking with talkSPORT, the Ukrainian maintained his belief that Joshua, who he now considers a friend and training partner, has the tools to trump his long-time domestic rival.

“AJ win. [He will] knock him out.”

Usyk dethroned Joshua with a unanimous decision victory in 2021, before winning their immediate rematch via a split verdict the following year.

The generational great then went on to score two points wins over Fury in 2024, with many viewing their contests as being more competitive than those against ‘AJ’.

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Canada’s Felix Dolci claims men’s gymnastics silver at Commonwealth Games

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Canada’s Félix Dolci won silver in the men’s gymnastics all-around final Sunday at the Commonwealth Games, earning his second medal of the competition.

Dolci scored 79.450, coming within two tenths of gold-medallist Reuben Ward of host Scotland at Glasgow International Arena. Australia’s Jesse Moore took bronze (79.000).

Dolci, a 24-year-old from Laval, Que., helped lead Canada to gold in the men’s team event on Friday when he topped the individual standings with a score of 81.650.

Canada also won silver in the women’s gymnastics team event on Saturday.

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Canada now has five medals at the Games — one gold, two silver and two bronze — heading into Sunday’s swimming finals.

Five-time Olympic medallist Kylie Masse of LaSalle, Ont., goes for gold in the women’s 100-metre backstroke, while Toronto’s Joshua Liendo competes in the men’s 100 butterfly and 50 freestyle finals.

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5 biggest delinquents after the 2026 Hungarian GP

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The F1 penalty points system has been put in place to keep the driving standards in the sport above a certain level. These were introduced in 2014 after the driving standards took a dip in the early 2010s, and there were quite a few incidents on the track. We even had Romain Grosjean getting banned in 2012 for the first-lap incident in Belgium.

As part of the Penalty Points system, drivers are given points based on the severity of their transgressions. These transgressions could be dangerous driving, causing a collision, etc. These points stay with the driver for 12 months, after which they expire.

Any driver who ends up accumulating 12 F1 penalty points faces a race ban. As we get ready to move on from the F1 Hungarian GP, who are the biggest delinquents on the grid? Let’s take a look.

F1 Penalty Points: Who is close to a ban?

#1. Ollie Bearman

Penalty Points: 4

Ollie Bearman now has 4 F1 penalty points to his name.

  • One point: Change of direction while defending during the 2025 Abu Dhabi GP (expires on December 7, 2026).
  • One point: Causing a collision with Liam Lawson at the 2025 Brazilian GP sprint (expires on November 8, 2026).
  • Two points: Causing a collision with Carlos Sainz at the 2025 Italian GP (expires on September 7, 2026).

#2. Kimi Antonelli

Penalty Points: 3

Kimi Antonelli has three F1 penalty points on his superlicense.

  • Two points: Causing a collision with Charles Leclerc in the 2025 F1 Dutch GP (expires on August 31, 2026)
  • One point: Forcing another driver off the track at the 2025 F1 Italian GP (expires on September 7, 2026)

#3. Lewis Hamilton

Penalty Points: 3

The seven-time F1 champion was issued a penalty point for his incident with Franco Colapinto. He’s now at 3 points.

  • One point: Causing a collision with Franco Colapinto during the 2025 F1 Brazilian GP (expires on November 9, 2026)
  • Two points: for failing to slow down under yellow flags during a reconnaissance lap prior to the 2025 Dutch Grand Prix (expires on August 31, 2026)

#4. Alex Albon

Penalty Points: 3

Alex Albon has three penalty points on his license.

  • One point: Causing a collision with Lewis Hamilton at the Las Vegas GP (expires on November 23, 2026)
  • Two points: Causing a collision with Franco Colapinto at the Azerbaijan GP (expires on September 21, 2026)

#5. Lance Stroll

Penalty Points: 3

Lance Stroll is currently at three F1 penalty points on his license.

  • One point: Change of direction while defending during the 2025 Abu Dhabi GP (expires on December 7, 2026).
  • Two points: Causing a collision with Esteban Ocon at the US GP sprint (expires on October 18, 2026)