How Does Formula 1 Scoring Work?

The way points are scored in Formula 1 seems complicated but it’s really not. Basically, drivers and race teams get rewarded for a) finishing closer to the front, and b) driving the fastest lap in a race. After that, it’s just a matter of sorting out exactly how those points are allocated. The little guide below will help!

How Do You Score Points in Formula 1?

There are three ways to score points in Formula 1 racing: By finishing in the top 10 of a Grand Prix, by recording the fastest lap in a Grand Prix, or by finishing in the top 8 of a Sprint race, which are only scheduled a few times a year on the Formula 1 calendar. 

Only 20 cars start each F1 race as of the 2023 season, and only 10 may score points in a race, so that’s how many finishing positions we’ll account for. Since the top 10 drivers all get points, winning each race isn’t essential to win a season championship. 

Simply recording the most wins throughout the season does not guarantee victory over the course of a season as other drivers or teams may score more consistently. Here’s how the points are awarded:

• 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

In each race, points are awarded to individual drivers and accrue to the team. For example, let’s say Charles Leclerc from Ferrari were to finish first in a race; he’d get 25 points for that towards the World Drivers Championship. 

If his teammate, Carlos Sainz, were to finish sixth in the same race, he’d get eight points. Add the driver points together and you get 33 points — that’s how many Ferrari would earn towards the World Constructors Championship. 

How Do You Score F1 Points For Fastest Lap Time?

For each Grand Prix, one point is also awarded to the driver with the fastest lap time. Again, these points accrue to the team. So, if Lewis Hamilton were to record the fastest lap in a race, he would get a point in the Drivers Championship, and Mercedes would get a point in the Constructors Championship. Here are the fastest laps recorded at each stop on the 2022 F1 calendar:

What Are F1 Sprint Races And How Do You Score Points?

F1 Sprint races are mini-races that happen the day before the full Grand Prix. Sprint races were introduced by FIA, the governing body of F1 motorsport, in 2019. The idea of sprint races is to get some variation into typical race weekend schedules, while also allowing both drivers and teams to earn extra points towards the championship. 

The top eight drivers earn eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, and one point, respectively towards the Drivers Championship, while the team will earn extra points towards the Constructors Championship. Here’s how points were awarded at the Sprint race on the weekend of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in Baku in 2023:

So in this case, Perez, Leclerc, Verstappen, Russell, Sainz, Alonso, Hamilton, and Stroll all earned individual points toward the Drivers Championship, while Red Bull, Ferrari, Mercedes, and Aston Martin all earned points toward the Constructors Championship.

F1 Drivers Championship vs. Constructors Championship

Each F1 season, the Drivers Championship is won by the individual driver who scores the most points over the course of an entire season. Here’s how the season played out in 2022 when Dutchman Max Verstappen won the Drivers Championship for the first time:

The Constructors Championship is won by the team whose drivers score the most collective points over the course of a season. Here’s how the points added up in 2021 when Mercedes won the championship for the eighth year in a row (2014-2021):

What Was the Closest F1 Championship?

The 2007 season was the closest finish in F1 Drivers Championship history with three drivers, Lewis Hamilton, Fernando Alonso and Kimi Raikkonen, all vying for the title going into the last race of the season in Brazil. Hamilton had car problems and finished seventh. Alonso was third, while Raikkonen took P1 to finish with 110 points – one more than both Alonso and Hamilton – and win the season’s Driver’s championship in great style.

The most dominant season in Constructors Championship history came in 2016 when the Mercedes driver duo of Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton led the team to a superb 765 points on the year, clinching the championship by the 17th race.  Other dominant seasons in the Constructors Championship include McLaren in 1988 with the first 100+ point margin of victory, and Red Bull’s 200+ point margin of victory in 2022 when the championship was clinched in race 19 of 22.

Are Points Ever Not Awarded For An F1 Race?

For every official race, points are awarded. As of 2022 though, a new points system has been introduced for races halted during the Grand Prix due to an incident, bad weather, or a situation where a race can’t go ahead. 

This was a reaction to the 2021 Belgian Grand Prix, where the race was canceled after two laps because of torrential rain. In that case, half of the normal points were awarded. The new scoring system for races that are shortened is as follows:

• No points will be awarded unless two fulls laps have been completed under the green flag 
• Points will be awarded on a 6–4–3–2–1 basis to the top five if less than 25% of the race is completed
• Points will be awarded on a 13–10–8–6–5–4–3–2–1 basis to the top nine if between 25% and 50% of the race is completed
• Points will be awarded on a 19–14–12–9–8–6–5–3–2–1 basis to the top 10 if 50% to 75% percent of the race is completed.
• If more than 75% of the scheduled race distance is completed, then full points will be awarded to the top 10.

Which F1 Drivers and Teams Score the Most Points?

Here is a list of the most successful F1 drivers of all time, by the number of Drivers Championships they have won, and when:

Driver	Titles	Season(s)
Michael Schumacher	7	1994, 1995, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004
Lewis Hamilton		2008, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020
Juan Manuel Fangio	5	1951, 1954, 1955, 1956, 1957
Alain Prost	4	1985, 1986, 1989, 1993
Sebastian Vettel		2010, 2011, 2012, 2013
Jack Brabham	3	1959, 1960, 1966
Jackie Stewart		1969, 1971, 1973
Niki Lauda		1975, 1977, 1984
Nelson Piquet		1981, 1983, 1987
Ayrton Senna		1988, 1990, 1991
Alberto Ascari	2	1952, 1953
Graham Hill		1962, 1968
Jim Clark		1963, 1965
Emerson Fittipaldi		1972, 1974
Mika Häkkinen		1998, 1999
Fernando Alonso		2005, 2006
Max Verstappen		2021, 2022
Giuseppe Farina	1	1950
Mike Hawthorn		1958
Phil Hill		1961
John Surtees		1964
Denny Hulme		1967
Jochen Rindt		1970
James Hunt		1976
Mario Andretti		1978
Jody Scheckter		1979
Alan Jones		1980
Keke Rosberg		1982
Nigel Mansell		1992
Damon Hill		1996
Jacques Villeneuve		1997
Kimi Räikkönen		2007
Jenson Button		2009
Nico Rosberg		2016

As you can see, a total of 34 individual drivers have won the World Drivers Championship since the F1’s inception in 1950. Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton have each won seven championships, to tie for the most ever. Three Drivers champions are still racing as of 2023: Lewis Hamilton, Fernando Alonso, and 2022 champion, Max Verstappen.

Here is a list of the most successful F1 teams of all time, by the number of Constructors Championships they have won, and when:

Constructor	Titles	Seasons
Ferrari	16	1961, 1964, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1979, 1982, 1983, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2007, 2008
Williams	9	1980, 1981, 1986, 1987, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1996, 1997
McLaren	8	1974, 1984, 1985, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1998
Mercedes		2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021
Lotus	7	1963, 1965, 1968, 1970, 1972, 1973, 1978
Red Bull	5	2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2022
Cooper	2	1959, 1960
Brabham		1966, 1967
Renault		2005, 2006
Vanwall	1	1958
BRM		1962
Matra		1969
Tyrrell		1971
Benetton		1995
Brawn		2009

As you can see, a total of 15 teams have won the World Constructors Championship since F1’s inception.  Ferrari has the most titles with 16, but much of the last decade has been dominated by Mercedes and Red Bull. Several previous Constructors Champions, including Lotus and 2009 winner, Brawn, no longer participate in F1.

Who Are the Formula 1 Teams and Drivers In 2023?

There are 10 teams and 20 drivers contesting points in the 2023 Formula 1 season.