Red Bull Motorsports
F1
This is how the F1 points system works
Here's an explainer how how the F1 points system works, and how drivers can earn enough points to claim Formula 1 world championship?
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At each F1 Grand Prix, drivers and teams alike strive to capture as many points as possible with hopes of finishing the season with more points than their competitors. While it sounds simple, their are a few specifications unique to the sport. Continue reading to get up to speed.
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.
- First: 25 points
- Second: 18 points
- Third: 15 points
- Fourth: 12 points
- Fifth: 10 points
- Sixth: 8 points
- Seventh: 6 points
- Eighth: 4 points
- Ninth: 2 points
- Tenth: 2 points
Since the top 10 drivers receive points, winning isn’t everything. A driver with the most wins throughout the season doesn’t have a guaranteed championship win, as another driver may have posted more consistent results throughout calendar.
02
How else can you collect points?
In 2019, F1 introduced “the fastest race lap” as a way to score points. Whoever turns the fastest lap at a Grand Prix and finishes in the top 10 receives an extra point. This might not sound like a lot, but a single point can be decisive in a fight for the world title.
Additionally, the 2021 season introduced sprint qualifying for the first time. The number one qualifier received three extra points, the second two points, and the third one point.
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 number of wins. If both drivers have the same number of wins, the ranking will be decided by number of second place finishes, then to third places. There will always be a solo champion.
Incidentally, never before in the history of Formula 1 have two drivers had the same number of points at the end of the season.
04
Has the title ever been decided by a single point?
Yes, world championships have been decided by a singular point eight times in F1 history. In 2007, Kimi Raikkonen won the World Championship by just one point over Lewis Hamilton. A year later, Hamilton won the title by a point over Felipe Massa.
In 1984, the first two drivers in the championship standings were only separated by only half a point because a race was abandoned before 75% of the distance was covered. In these cases, only half the points are awarded.
05
What is the Constructor Rating 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 pilot the Red Bull Racing cars. The sum of the points scored by both drivers will equate to Red Bull Racing's total points.
Pérez and Verstappen shared the podium for the first time in 2021
© Getty Images/Red Bull Content Pool
06
What happens if a driver changes teams mid-season?
A driver keeps his points if a change occurs and the former team keeps the points up until the change. 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, points were then credited to Red Bull for the Constructors' Championship. For the drivers' standings, it doesn't matter which team the pilot drives for.
07
Who is the reigning world champion?
In 2021, Dutchman Max Verstappen was crowned world champion in the drivers' standings and set a number of records in the process. The Constructors' Championship, on the other hand, went to the Mercedes team for the eighth time in a row.
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