SUMMARY
- F1 has had different scoring systems from its inception.
- Today, the scoring system is designed to give the winner of every race the maximum advantage.
Formula 1 is one of the most popular sports in the world. The billion-dollar empire is viewed by millions of people all around the world. There are a total of 2 Championships that take place under this sport. One is the Drivers’ Championship, the other is the Constructors’ Championship.
Both of these Championships are vitally important for the teams, drivers, and fans of the sport. After each race, the drivers and teams are given points based on the finishing positions at the end of the race. Let’s take a look at how Formula 1 awards points to each team and driver after each race.
How F1 points system works now
The points system for the 2024 season will be the same as it was in 2010. Only the top 10 finishers will be awarded points after each race. The drivers finishing outside the top 10 will not be awarded any points.
The driver finishing first will receive 25 points. The point difference is the most between the top 2 drivers. There is a 7-point difference between these 2 positions. After that, the point difference between the drivers will be 3 until 4th place. With the driver finishing in 4th receiving 12 points, the driver finishing 5th will receive 10 points. From then on, the point difference will be 2 points for every position until the last place. The difference in points for the drivers finishing 9th and 10th will only be 1.
Position | Points | Difference |
---|---|---|
1st | 25 | – |
2nd | 18 | 7 |
3rd | 15 | 3 |
4th | 12 | 3 |
5th | 10 | 2 |
6th | 8 | 2 |
7th | 6 | 2 |
8th | 4 | 2 |
9th | 2 | 2 |
10th | 1 | 1 |
A detailed point allocation table is given above for reference. It is clear that the driver finishing first gets the best advantage. Any driver finishing first will have at least a 7-point advantage over the rest of the field. Whereas, the rest of the drivers can only have a maximum 3-point advantage to the drivers finishing behind them.
The points each of the drivers score in a race are added to their name in the Drivers’ Championship. When it comes to the Constructors’ Championship, the total number of points scored by their drivers counts. Each F1 team can have a maximum of only 2 drivers. The total points scored by both of these drivers will be counted in the Constructors’ Championship for the team.
The old points system
The F1 Championship has had a number of different points system. From 1962 to 1990, the Championships would not be very high-scoring due to the points allocation system at the time. Back then, points were only awarded to the top 6 finishers. The driver finishing 1st would receive 9 points, 2nd would get 6 points, and the rest of the points scorers would receive 4 to 1 points.
Position | Points | Difference |
---|---|---|
1st | 10 | – |
2nd | 8 | 2 |
3rd | 6 | 2 |
4th | 5 | 1 |
5th | 4 | 1 |
6th | 3 | 1 |
7th | 2 | 1 |
8th | 1 | 1 |
9th | 0 | 1 |
10th | 0 | 1 |
From the 1991 season, F1 increased the points for 1st place to 10. The rest of the points remained the same. However, in 2003 the FIA decided to make another change. The new points system gave points to the top 8 drivers after a race.
The driver finishing 1st would receive 10 points while the driver finishing 2nd would receive 8 points. The remaining 6 points scorers will be awarded from 6 points to 1 point with the difference between each of them being 1. This points system was followed from 2003 to 2009. From the 2010 season, the FIA decided to significantly increase the system. This system is the current points allocation that is mentioned above.
Allotment of points for the F1 Sprint Races
In the current F1 era, the FIA introduced Sprint Races. These Sprint races were first introduced in 2021. Back then, only the top 3 finishers were awarded points. The top driver would win 3 points while the second will receive 2 points and the last points scorer will receive 1 point. However, this format changed in 2022.
For the 2022 season, the FIA decided to reward the top 8 finishers with points after every sprint race. While this point allocation was similar to the one used from 2003 to 2009, there were some minor changes. The maximum number of points a driver could receive after a Sprint race was only 8. The point difference between each position was only 1.
This made the Sprint Races more intense as it carried significant points. Previously, the finishing positions of the drivers after the Sprint Races were the starting positions of the drivers for the main race. However, from the 2023 season, the FIA has decided to keep the Sprint events separate.
Position | Points | Difference |
---|---|---|
1st | 8 | – |
2nd | 7 | 1 |
3rd | 6 | 1 |
4th | 5 | 1 |
5th | 4 | 1 |
6th | 3 | 1 |
7th | 2 | 1 |
8th | 1 | 1 |
9th | 0 | 1 |
10th | 0 | 0 |
The drivers will have 2 qualifying sessions during a Sprint weekend. The first one would take place on Friday for the main Grand Prix which would take place on Sunday. The second qualifying would take place during the first session on Saturday. This qualifying session would determine the grid order for the Sprint Race which would take place during the second outing on Saturday.
While this made the weekend entertaining for some fans, it gave the teams and drivers only 1 session of practice. This format was met with a lot of criticism. It is likely that this format will change for the 2024 season.
Do F1 drivers get points for pole position and fastest lap?
Getting the fastest lap and the pole position is not a small accomplishment. Pole position is awarded to the driver who accomplishes the fastest lap during the final session of qualifying. This driver will go on to start first for the Grand Prix.
After a driver gets the pole position for a race, they are awarded with a pole position award from Pirelli. However, the driver is not awarded any points for this accomplishment. There is a possibility that the FIA will award points for pole position in the future. But as it stands, no points are awarded.
Max Verstappen sets the fastest lap on the very last lap of the race to earn one bonus point ⚡️#SaudiArabianGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/RuUq6YJ0nD
— Formula 1 (@F1) March 19, 2023
The fastest lap refers to the driver who has the fastest lap during the race only. This rime usually comes during the final stages of the race as that is when the drivers are running with minimal fuel in their cars. This makes the car lighter and faster especially with fresh tires.
The driver with the fastest lap is awarded with a single point after the race. However, this point is only awarded if the driver with the fastest lap finishes in the top 10. If the driver with the fastest lap finishes outside the top 10, no points will be awarded for the fastest lap.