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F1
This is how the F1 points system works
Here's run-through of the new F1 points system and F1 Sprint. Pay close attention, now...
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At each F1 Grand Prix, drivers and teams strive to capture as many points as possible. The points scored by each driver go to two different competition standings. Their personal total is recorded in the Drivers' World Championship, which is an individual prize awarded to the season's best driver. Their team total – so, the points scored by them and their teammate at each Grand Prix – count in the World Constructors' Championship, which determines the season's best team. Here's a breakdown of how it all works...
Dive into the 2022 season
01
How does the scoring system work?
Points are awarded based on the driver’s ranking at the end of a Grand Prix.
Position
Points
P1
25
P2
18
P3
15
P4
12
P5
10
P6
8
P7
6
P8
4
P9
2
P10
1
Since the top 10 drivers receive points, winning isn’t everything. The driver with the most wins throughout the season isn't guaranteed a World Drivers' Championship win, as another driver may have posted more consistent results throughout the calendar.
02
How else can you collect points?
Fastest Lap bonus point
In 2019, F1 introduced a bonus point for drivers who set the fastest lap of the Grand Prix and finish the race in the top ten.
What changes have been made to F1 Sprint 2022?
F1 Sprint is a 100km race with no mandatory pit stops for fuel or tyres. All drivers compete in one race. The outcome of the race affects the grid lineup for Sunday's main Grand Prix.
There are three scheduled F1 Sprint weekends in the 2022 F1 calendar.
- The first took place at the Emilia Romagna GP in Italy (23 April)
- The second is at the Red Bull Ring GP in Austria (9 July)
- The final sprint is at the Interlagos GP in Brazil (12 November)
This is how it works:
- Friday – Free practice one and race qualifying
- Saturday – Free practice two and F1 Sprint
- Sunday – Full Grand Prix race
This year the top eight F1 Sprint finishers are awarded points:
Position
Points
P1
8
P2
7
P3
6
P4
5
P5
4
P6
3
P7
2
P8
1
Who gets Pole Position in F1 Sprint?
This year changes have been made with the awarding of pole position.
The driver who laps the quickest in Friday's qualifying is rewarded pole position for the F1 Sprint (new for 2022, it is also recorded in the official statistics that the driver won pole position, even though it does not mean that they will start Sunday's race in P1 on the grid). The driver who wins F1 Sprint will start in pole in Sunday's Grand Prix and come away with eight points for himself and the team, but does not get the title of pole for the record books.
Each driver's finishing position in F1 Sprint will determine their spot on the starting grid for Sunday's race where the traditional format remains unchanged.
03
What happens if two drivers have the same number of points?
If two drivers finish the last Grand Prix with the same number of points, the world champion will be crowned according to the number of wins. If both drivers have the same number of wins, the ranking will be decided by the number of second-place finishes, then third places. There will always be a solo champion.
Never before in the history of Formula 1 have two drivers had the same number of points at the end of the season.
04
What is the Constructor Standings and how does it work?
There are two championships in Formula 1: one for the drivers and one for the teams. The team championship is called the Constructors' Championship and the scoring system is the same as in the Drivers' Championship, except the points from both drivers on a team are tallied together.
For example, in 2022, Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez will drive for Oracle Red Bull Racing. The sum of the points scored by both drivers will equate to Oracle Red Bull Racing's total Constructors' Championship points.
Pérez and Verstappen shared the podium for the first time in 2021
© Getty Images/Red Bull Content Pool
05
What happens to a driver's points if they change teams mid-season?
A driver keeps their individual points and their old team keeps the points scored up until the change occurred. For example, in 2016 Max Verstappen switched from Toro Rosso to Red Bull mid-season. Toro Rosso kept the points Verstappen scored in their car during the first races of the year, but the moment the Dutchman took his seat in the Red Bull Racing cockpit, subsequent points were then credited to Red Bull Racing for the Constructors' Championship. The drivers' standings only show the individual driver's points, no matter which team they are racing for.
06
Who is the reigning world champion?
In 2021, Max Verstappen was crowned world champion in the drivers' standings and set several records in the process. The Constructors' Championship went to the Mercedes team for the eighth year in a row.
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