F1 Points System

The F1 points system is one of the more complex aspects of the sport, with newcomers often not being able to wrap their hands around it. No worries, though, that’s what I’ll discuss in this article!

I’ll explain how the current F1 points system works, with all accumulated historic changes, and then I’ll take you through all the historic changes over the years.

But before that, here are the essentials of the F1 points system:

Top race finishers receive the most points – As of 2023, only the top 10 race finalists will receive points. The higher the finishing position, the more awarded points. The race winner receives the most points (25)
Consistent performance is rewarded – A driver will be awarded points throughout the entire season, and these will count toward winning the championship title. So, they’ll have to achieve consistent performance across all races rather than winning a few key ones, if they want to win the championship title
Scoring points during the season decides the championship – The current system decides the final championship winner by counting all the drivers points they accumulated during the season, across all Grands Prix
Both drivers and teams can earn points through the points system – Throughout the season, both the drivers and teams will earn points. These will determine who wins the Drivers’ World Championship and the Constructors World Championship
In 2021, F1 introduced sprint races (interlinking), which is the first time that drivers can earn points outside of the main Grand Prix on Sunday
Now that we got the essentials down, let’s go into more details about how the F1 points systems work!

Current F1 Points Scoring System

In 2023, there are three ways to obtain points as a driver:

1. During the main race weekend

The first 10 finishing places will obtain a certain number of points, with 1st place obtaining the most points.

Here’s how this looks:

Place	Points	Percentage of First Place	Percentage of Previous Place
1	25	100%	100%
2	18	72%	72%
3	15	60%	83%
4	12	48%	80%
5	10	40%	83%
6	8	32%	80%
7	6	24%	75%
8	4	16%	67%
9	2	8%	50%
10	1	4%	50%

This system was optimized over the years to be as fair as possible to all participants.

2. By Achieving a Fastest Lap

Drivers can also earn a single point by achieving a fastest lap and being classified in the top ten positions at the end of a Grand Prix.

Before 2019, drivers didn’t need to get to the top 10 to earn the fastest lap bonus point, but 2019 introduced this requirement.

Moreover, only the driver achieving the fastest lap time will get the point. If two drivers have the exact same fastest lap time, only the first driver who achieved the fastest lap will get the point.

3. During the Saturday Sprint Races

A new addition to Formula 1, the sprint races were introduced in 2021 and allow drivers to earn yet more points during the weekend.

These sprint races take place on Saturday and replace one practice session. When sprint races appeared in 2021, only the top three finishing drivers earned points:

3 points for 1st place
2 points for 2nd place
1 point for 3rd place

However, since 2022, the points system during sprint races was changed to accommodate more finishing positions:

8 points for 1st place
7 points for 2nd place
6 points for 3rd place
5 points for 4th place
4 points for 5th place
3 points for 6th place
2 points for 7th place
1 point for 8th place

While there has been some criticism and debate about the sprint races when they were introduced in 2021, it became a permanent addition to F1.

It does not, however, impact the Sunday Grand Prix in terms of grid placement or anything else.

Points System Definitions and Rules

Throughout the years, the F1 points system has gone through some changes. Here are the main definitions and rules that apply to the points system in 2023:

To be eligible for points, a driver needs to be classified. This means that they have to complete at least 90% of the finishing driver’s race laps (e.g., if Max Verstappen wins a Grand Prix by completing 60 laps, the other drivers need to have completed at least 90% of his laps, which is 54, to gain points)
Only the driver to complete a fastest lap gets the fastest lap point and only if they’re classified in the top 10 when a Grand Prix ends
Drivers get no points if they haven’t completed at least two laps of a Grand Prix without a safety car (interlinking)
Upon disqualification, a driver and/or the constructor will lose points depending on the crime committed and punishment
Shorter races will award less points (from 25%, 25% - 50%, and 50% - 75%) depending on the length of the race
Drivers can get points during the sprint races on Saturday
Drivers who switch teams during a season will retain all their points achieved across all teams
As the driver switches teams, all the constructors championship points gained will remain with those respective teams

These are all the points-related definitions and rules that apply as of 2023. However, there have been multiple iterations of the F1 Points System throughout the years.

Historic Changes to the Points System

The Points System has gone through a lot of changes ever since F1 appeared. Below, I’ll walk you through all the changes for the seasons, starting with the current one.

Before that, though, let me tell you about the modifications of the Points System definitions and rules over the years:

1. Reduced Points for Short Races

Until the 2022 Season, drivers who completed less than 75% of a Grand Prix would receive half points only (4th place would receive 6 points instead of the normal 12).

The rules were changed in 2022 due to a troublesome 2021 Belgium Grand Prix. Now, a driver has to complete at least 2 laps without a safety car to be eligible for any points.

Moreover, the reduced number of points during short races were restructured into three categories:

Category 1 – More than 2 laps completed, up to 25% of the race completed

Place	Points	Percentage of First Place	Percentage of Previous Place
1	6	100%	100%
2	4	67%	67%
3	3	50%	75%
4	2	33%	67%
5	1	17%	50%

For race weekends where up to 25% of a race distance is completed, only the top 5 finalists will receive points based on a 6-point system.

Category 2 – More than 25% of the race completed, up to 50%

Place	Points	Percentage of First Place	Percentage of Previous Place
1	13	100%	100%
2	10	77%	77%
3	8	62%	80%
4	6	46%	75%
5	5	38%	83%
6	4	31%	80%
7	3	23%	75%
8	2	15%	67%
9	1	8%	50%

If up to 50% of a race is completed, then the top 9 finalists will receive points based on a 13-point system.

Category 3 – More than 50% of the race completed, up to 75%

Place	Points	Percentage of First Place	Percentage of Previous Place
1	19	100%	100%
2	14	74%	74%
3	12	63%	86%
4	9	47%	75%
5	8	42%	89%
6	6	32%	75%
7	5	26%	83%
8	3	16%	60%
9	2	11%	67%
10	1	5%	50%

If up to 75% of a race is completed, then the top 10 finalists will receive points based on a 19-point system.

Remember that these scoring systems are only enforced during times when, either for safety reasons (bad weather) or duration limits, the races have to be stopped.

During these short races, no participants will go above these race completion rates, which enforces the Reduced Points system.

2. Split Points

During the early days (unclear when, exactly), there were two rules about split points:
If two drivers drove the same F1 car in a race, the points gained by both would be split evenly between them when one of them finished the race. That is no longer the case now since every driver has their own car
If multiple drivers achieved the exact same time for a fastest lap, the one bonus point for the fastest lap would be shared equally between them. Now, only the first driver who achieves the fastest lap gets the point

There was a situation during the Grand Prix of Great Britain in 1954 when 7 drivers achieved the exact same time for the fastest lap.

Each driver received an equal number of 0.142857 points for that fastest lap. This remains, to date, one of the weirdest events in Formula One history.

3. Fastest Laps Eligibility

Formula 1 didn’t always award points for the fastest laps achieved by drivers. The system was used during the 1950 – 1959 seasons and drivers didn’t need to be classified in the top 10 to get the point for the fastest lap.

Then, there was a period of 59 years during which the FIA awarded no points for fastest laps performed by drivers.

In 2019, the FIA reintroduced the fastest lap system but added a new rule – drivers had to be classified in the top 10 to receive the extra point for the fastest lap.

4. Double Points Controversy

During the 2014 season, the FIA introduced the double points system for the final Grand Prix of a season.

The top 10 finalists received double the points they would normally receive, so:

1st place – 50 points
2nd place – 36 points
3rd place – 30 points
4th place – 24 points
5th place – 20 points
6th place – 16 points
7th place – 12 points
8th place – 8 points
9th place – 4 points
10th place – 2 points

This came to be known as one of the worst ideas ever implemented in F1. It was only used in the Abu Dhabi race in 2014, and it put immense artificial pressure on Lewis Hamilton, while giving a substantial handicap to his teammate Nico Rosberg.

As the leader, Hamilton had 334 points by that point, winning 10 races, while Rosberg had 317 points in second place after winning only 5. With the normal point system, Hamilton could have finished sixth and still won the title.

With the new double-point system, he had to win at least second in the race to get the title.

If Hamilton did not score at all, Rosberg could win the title by finishing fifth. Fortunately, Hamilton still won the race and gained another title.

Still, even Rosberg, who had a clear advantage, condemned the system for being unfair and artificial. The double-point system was scrapped on the spot and never used again.

Now, let me show you the various Point Systems used throughout the history of F1, starting with the one used today!

2022 – 2023 Seasons (Current Points System Layout)

25 Points for Top 10 + Fastest Lap Points + Sprint Race Points up to 8^th Place
Place	Points	Percentage of First Place	Percentage of Previous Place
1	25	100%	100%
2	18	72%	72%
3	15	60%	83%
4	12	48%	80%
5	10	40%	83%
6	8	32%	80%
7	6	24%	75%
8	4	16%	67%
9	2	8%	50%
10	1	4%	50%

The current Points System is in use since 2022, with the latest addition being the extended Sprint Race Points up to 8th place from up to 3rd place.

2021 Season – 25 Points for Top 10 + Fastest Lap + Sprint Race Points up to 3rd Place

During the 2021 Season, the Sprint Race Points were first introduced, with only the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place receiving points (3 points, 2 points, and 1 point, more specifically).

The rest of the Points System remained the exact same, with 25 race points awarded for the top 10 race finishers and a fastest lap point as well.

2019 – 2020 Seasons – 25 Points + Fastest Lap Only

In 2019, the fastest lap points were reintroduced after a hiatus of several decades (since 1960).

During this period, there were still 25 race points for the top 10 race finishers but not Sprint Race Points.

2010 – 2018 Seasons (Without 2014) – 25 Points for Top 10 Only

From 2010 to 2018, only race points were awarded to the top 10 race finishers, with no fastest laps and no sprint race points.

This was the second-longest period when the Points System remained the same, with no changes made at all.

2014 Season – 25 Points for Top 10 + Double Points for Last Grand Prix

In 2014, the FIA experimented with double points during the last race of the season.

Basically, every racer participating in the last Grand Prix received double the points they would normally get.

So, 1st place would get 50 points instead of 25, 2nd would get 36 instead of 18, and so on.

However, this was a very controversial change that didn’t sit well with the drivers and teams, so it was eventually scrapped.

2003 – 2009 Seasons – 10 Points for Top 8 Only

During 2003 – 2009 seasons, we see the first major change to the Race Points system. It’s a downgrade from 25 points for the Top 10 to 10 points for the Top 8:

1st place – 10 points
2nd place – 8 points
3rd place – 6 points
4th place – 5 points
5th place – 4 points
6th place – 3 points
7th place – 2 points
8th place – 1 point

The downtrend will continue as we move back over the years.

1991 – 2002 Seasons – 10 Points for Top 6 Only

During the 1991 – 2002 seasons, only the top 6 race finishers got points:

1st place – 10 points
2nd place – 6 points
3rd place – 4 points
4th place – 3 points
5th place – 2 points
6th place – 1 point

1961 – 1990 Seasons – 9 Points for Top 6 Only

During the 1961 – 1990 seasons, the 9-point system was in effect, but only the top 6 race finishers received points:

1st place – 9 points
2nd place – 6 points
3rd place – 4 points
4th place – 3 points
5th place – 2 points
6th place – 1 point

The only difference between the 1961 – 1990 and 1991 – 2002 seasons is that 1st place receives one additional point during the latter period.

1960 Season – 8 Points for Top 6 Only

The 1960 Season saw the 8-points system for the Top 6, with the only difference being that 1st place got 8 points instead of 9, 10, and 25 as in the coming years.

Here’s how that looked:

1st place – 8 points
2nd place – 6 points
3rd place – 4 points
4th place – 3 points
5th place – 2 points
6th place – 1 point

This was a transitional year for Formula 1, as the 8-points system for the top 6 was only used in 1960. Starting in 1961, the 9-points system was implemented.

1950 – 1959 Seasons – 8 Points for Top 5 and Fastest Lap Only

This was the beginning for Formula 1. The 1950 – 1959 seasons included an 8-points system for the top 5 and the fastest lap points.

Here’s how it looked:

1st place – 8 points
2nd place – 6 points
3rd place – 4 points
4th place – 3 points
5th place – 2 points

It’s interesting to see that in the first years of Formula 1 (10 years), they used to award 1 point for drivers achieving the fastest lap.

However, they stopped doing that from 1960 to 2019, a period of 59 years. The reasons for this large hiatus remain unclear.

The fastest lap points during the 1950 – 1959 seasons were also awarded to any driver with this achievement, with no need for them to be classified in the top 10. This was changed in 2019 with the reintroduction of the fastest lap system.

Conclusion

The F1 Points System has suffered many changes throughout the years. The current one has been in use since 2022, with all the recent changes. This includes the:

25-to-1 Race Points per Grand Prix
Fastest Lap Points for top 10-classified drivers
Sprint Race points for the top eight finishers of the Sprint Race

The Sprint Events are the newest addition, being mainly used for attraction and increasing the popularity of F1. But it does offer more variety to the races and more chances for racers to have a shot at the title throughout the season!