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F1
This is how the F1 points system works
Max Verstappen was crowned world champion in 2022 for the second consecutive season, with 454 championship points. But how do you get points? Here's an explanation of the Formula 1 points system.
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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, there are a few specifications unique to the sport.
With a total of 23 Grand Prix on the calendar, the 2023 Formula 1 season offers drivers and teams even more opportunities to collect coveted world championship points for the drivers' or constructors' championship.
Get ready for the 2023 season
In 2022, behind Max Verstappen on the championship podium was Charles Leclerc with 308 points. In the 2021 F1 season, the gap between world champion Verstappen and runner-up Lewis Hamilton was significantly smaller. Only eight championship points separated the top duo.
But how many points do you actually get per race? We explain the points system in Formula 1.
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?
Max Verstappen
© Getty Images / Red Bull Content Pool
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.
A maximum of 26 championship points per race are possible. In 23 races this season, a Formula 1 driver can theoretically collect a total of 598 championship points.
Additionally there are more ways to earn points: 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. The following season, scoring was adjusted, and anyone in the top eight would receive additional championship points.
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Unfiltered: Horner and Newey
Christian Horner and Adrian Newey took Red Bull to the very top. Go behind the steadfast F1 alliance.
03
What happens if two drivers have the same number of points?
Max Verstappen holds up his trophy after winning the Hungarian Grand Prix
© Peter Fox/Getty Images
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 2023, 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, the team that won the Constructors' World Championship last season.
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, 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 Verstappen was crowned world champion in the drivers' standings and set a number of records in the process. In 2022, he once again was crowned world champion.
With 759 points from both drivers, the title of the Constructors' World Champion went to Oracle Red Bull Racing before the end of the season, at the U.S. Grand Prix. The Mercedes team's win streak was broken for the first time since 2013.
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