Formula 1 rules: How does the points system work?
A new Formula 1 season begins on March 2nd in Bahrain, where 20 drivers and 10 teams will start a long, globe-trotting journey that will see them race on five continents and 21 different countries.
There are 24 full-length races on the calendar for 2024, along with six sprint races which also award championship points.
Points awarded to drivers count in the standings for the World Drivers’ Championship. Teams also compete for the World Constructors’ Championship, where points scored by each respective team’s drivers are added together each week.
Let’s take a look at what each position is worth in each type of race:
Grand Prix races
Points are awarded to the top 10 finishers per race as follows:
| 1st: | 25 points |
| 2nd: | 18 points |
| 3rd: | 15 points |
| 4th: | 12 points |
| 5th: | 10 points |
| 6th: | 8 points |
| 7th: | 6 points |
| 8th: | 4 points |
| 9th: | 2 points |
| 10th: | 1 point |
Bonus point for fastest lap: In a Grand Prix race, an additional 1 bonus point will be awarded to the driver who completes the fastest lap. In order to be eligible, the driver with the fastest lap must finish inside the top 10.
Sprint races
Sprint races will be held in China, Miami, Austria, Austin, Brazil and Qatar.
| 1st: | 8 points |
| 2nd: | 7 points |
| 3rd: | 6 points |
| 4th: | 5 points |
| 5th: | 4 points |
| 6th: | 3 points |
| 7th: | 2 points |
| 8th: | 1 points |
Shortened races
Formula 1 also introduced new scoring rules for Grands Prix that are shortened due to weather or other reasons, following the highly controversial 2021 Belgian Grand Prix, which awarded half points to the top 10 despite zero racing laps being run.
In the event that a race is shortened, points will be paid out depending on how much of the scheduled race distance was completed.
If less than 25% of race distance is completed:
Points awarded: 6, 4, 3, 2, 1 (zero points awarded to 6th place and below)
If 25%-50% of race distance is completed:
Points awarded: 13, 10, 8, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 (zero points awarded to 10th place and below)
If 50%-75% of race distance is completed:
Points awarded: 19, 14, 12, 9, 8, 6, 5, 3, 2, 1
Has the points system always worked this way?
No, in fact the current points system is a very modern invention.
Ignoring the invention of sprint races 2021, F1 only awarded points to the top six finishers from 1950 all the way to 2002.
From 2003 to 2009, F1 paid points to the top eight drivers, with the race winner still only receiving 10 points. The current system of 25 points for a win was introduced in 2010 in order to incentivize and properly reward winning races, as the points gap between first and second became much wider.