List of Formula One World Championship points scoring systems

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Lewis Hamilton 2016 Malaysia 2.jpg
Charles Leclerc-Ferrari SF1000 (1).jpg
Lewis Hamilton (left) holds the record for the highest number of World Drivers' Championship points scored, and Scuderia Ferrari (right) maintains the record for the highest number of points attained in the World Constructors' Championship. However, the number of points awarded for identical results, as well as the number of races per season, have changed over the years, so comparison between drivers or teams cannot be done by points alone.

Formula One, abbreviated to F1, is the highest class of open-wheeled auto racing series administered by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA), motorsport's world governing body. [1] The "formula" in the name alludes to a series of rules set by the FIA to which all participants and vehicles are required to conform. [1] [2] The F1 World Championship season consists of a series of races, known as Grands Prix, usually held on purpose-built circuits, and in a few cases on closed city streets. [3] A points scoring system is used for each Grand Prix held over the course of the F1 season to determine the outcome of two annual championships, one for drivers (World Drivers' Championship) since 1950, and one for constructors (World Constructors' Championship) since 1958. [1] [4] Each driver accumulates championship points individually in the World Drivers' Championship and collectively for the team they compete for in the World Constructors' Championship. [4] Both championships are formally awarded at the end-of-season FIA Prize Giving Ceremony to the driver and team with the most points. [4] [5] [6]

Contents

As of the 2025 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix , 356 drivers have scored Drivers' Championship points, [7] and 73 out of 170 teams have scored Constructors' Championship points, [8] in 1,149 World Championship races. [9] Lewis Hamilton has the highest Drivers' Championship points total with 5018.5, Max Verstappen is second with 3444.5 and Sebastian Vettel is third with 3098. [7] Scuderia Ferrari holds the record for the highest Constructors' Championship points total with 10722, Red Bull Racing is second with 8288, and Mercedes is third with 8159.5. [8] Drivers received an equal points distribution share if they shared a car with another or set the same fastest lap as another between 1950 and 1957. Second drivers of teams who officially entered only one car were ineligible for points on two occasions involving three drivers. [10] [11]

History

The points scoring has been changed several times throughout F1 history. [10] [12] Participants in every season until 1990 could only achieve Drivers' Championship points for their best-placed finishes in a specified maximum number of races. [12] Up until 1979, most years saw only the highest-scoring participant in each Grand Prix for each constructor contributing points towards the Constructors' title. [10] From 1950 to 1959, the top five finishers of each race plus the fastest lap setter tallied points. The format was expanded to include the first six finishers of each event between 1960 and 2002 but with no point for fastest lap. [12] In 2003, the FIA revised the structure to the top eight finishers of each race. [13] The FIA extended the system again to include the first ten Grand Prix finishers in 2010. [14] Each Grand Prix winner tallied 8 points from 1950 to 1960, 9 from 1961 to 1990, 10 between 1991 and 2009, and 25 since 2010. [12]

Half points were awarded for six Grands Prix that were red-flagged before a certain threshold in a race progression was reached (at different times being either 60% or 75% of the scheduled race distance); [15] [16] starting from around 1977 to 1980 until the end of the 2021 season, [15] no points were able to be accumulated should a race conclude early with the leader having completed two or fewer laps. [17] Following the 2021 Belgian Grand Prix in which half points were awarded to the first ten finishers despite no racing laps being completed, the standards by which a driver can tally championship points should a Grand Prix be suspended before full distance is covered and not be restarted, were changed to a gradual scale system beginning in 2022. No points are awarded unless the race leader completes two or more racing laps without the intervention of a safety car or virtual safety car. Only the top five finishers are eligible for championship points if the race leader completes more than two racing laps but covers less than 25% of the race distance. That switches to the top nine places should the race leader complete between 25% and 50% of race distance. If the race leader covers between 50% and 75% of race distance then participants finishing in the top ten positions tally points. Full championship points are tallied should the race leader complete 75% or more of the scheduled race distance. [18] [19] Following initial confusion over how points were awarded at the 2022 Japanese Grand Prix, the FIA clarified the drivers are also eligible for full points if the race finishes under green flag conditions regardless of the percentage of the scheduled race distance that has been covered. [20] In 2023, the FIA clarified that shortened races would be subject to the gradual scale system "if the race distance from the start signal to the end-of-session signal is less than the scheduled race distance." [21]

Sprint qualifying was introduced in 2021 to set the starting order at three Grands Prix that season and the top three finishers of each of these mini-races received points. [22] The first eight drivers were awarded points in three sprint races in 2022, [23] and in six sprint races in 2023. [24]

The fastest lap bonus point was re-introduced in 2019, however only drivers and constructors who finished in the top ten are eligible to score the point. [25] From 2022, the fastest lap point is only awarded if 50% or more of the scheduled race distance is completed. [19] The FIA abolished the fastest lap point rule for the 2025 season onwards. [26] Unlike various other motor racing series, F1 has never awarded bonus points to drivers for leading the most laps (e.g., the IndyCar Series) or qualifying on pole position (e.g., the F1 feeder series, such as Formula 2 and Formula 3). [12]

Points scoring systems

List of Formula One World Championship points scoring systems used throughout history [12]
Seasons1st2nd3rd4th5th6th7th8th9th10thFastest lapTowards WDCTowards WCCNotes
1950–1953 86432–––––14N/A [a] [b]
1954 5 [a] [b] [c]
1955 [a] [c] [d]
1956–1957 [a] [c] [d] [e] [f]
1958 6 [c] [f] [g] [h] [i] [j]
1959 5 [c] [h] [i] [j]
1960 864321–––––6 [h] [j]
1961 9 (D)64321–––––5 [h] [k]
8 (C)
1962 964321––––– [h]
1963–1965 6
1966 5 [f] [h] [l]
1967 9 (5 from first 6, 4 from last 5)
1968 10 (5 each from first and last 6) [h]
1969 9 (5 from first 6, 4 from last 5) [f] [h]
1970 11 (6 from first 7, 5 from last 6) [h]
1971 9 (5 from first 6, 4 from last 5)
1972 10 (5 each from first and last 6)
1973–1974 13 (7 from first 8, 6 from last 7)
1975 12 (6 each from first and last 7)
1976 14 (7 each from first and last 8)
1977 15 (8 from first 9, 7 from last 8)
1978 14 (7 each from first and last 8)
1979 8 (4 from first 7, 4 from last 8)All–
1980 10 (5 each from first and last 7)
1981–1990 11 [m]
1991–2002 1064321–––––All–
2003–2009 108654321–––
2010–2018 251815121086421– [n]
2019–2024 1 [o] [p]
2025 onwards––

Special cases

Sprint races

Since 2021, select events have held an additional sprint race, which has awarded points as follows:

Sprint qualifying and the sprints [12]
Seasons1st2nd3rd4th5th6th7th8th
2021 321–––––
2022 onwards87654321

Shortened races

Shortened race points criteria [15] [17] [18] [19] [32] [21]
SeasonsRace length completed1st2nd3rd4th5th6th7th8th9th10thFastest lapNotes
1975–1976 Less than 30%–– [q] [r]
Between 30% and 60%Half
Between 60% and 100%Full
1980–2021 Less than two laps– [r] [s] [p]
Between two laps and 75%Half
75% – 100%Full1 [t]
2022 onwardsLess than two full racing laps–– [u] [v]
Between two full racing laps and 25%64321–––––
Between 25% and 50%13108654321–
Between 50% and 75%191412108643211 [t]
Between 75% and 100%Full

Records and achievements

Jim Clark is the only driver to score maximum points in a season, claiming 54 points in both 1963 and 1965, when only the best six results counted towards the championship—Clark won seven and six Grands Prix, respectively. More recently, Michael Schumacher finished on the podium in every race in the 2002 season, earning 144 of a possible 170 points (84.70%). [37] Max Verstappen set numerous points-related records in his 2023 campaign, scoring a record 575 of 620 available (92.74%), which eclipsed his previous numerical record of 454 from 2022. [38] The most dominant World Constructors' Champion in recent times was McLaren in 1988, scoring 199 of a maximum 240 points and finishing 134 points ahead of its nearest rival. [39] [40] In 2002, Ferrari scored 221 points, as many as all the other teams combined. [41]

Robert Kubica has the longest time between two successive points-scoring results: 8 years and 256 days (between the 2010 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix and the 2019 German Grand Prix). [42] Fernando Alonso has the longest time between his first and last points-scoring results: he scored his first points in the 2003 Australian Grand Prix and his most recent at the 2025 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, a span of 22 years, 8 months, and 28 days. [43] Hamilton holds the record for most consecutive points-scoring results at 48 Grands Prix: from the 2018 British Grand Prix to the 2020 Bahrain Grand Prix. [44] Max Verstappen is the youngest driver to score a championship point; he finished seventh at the 2015 Malaysian Grand Prix when he was 17 years and 180 days old. [45] Philippe Étancelin is the oldest driver to score a championship point; he was 53 years and 249 days old when he finished fifth at the 1950 Italian Grand Prix. [46]

See also

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 4 The World Constructors' Championship was not awarded from 1950 to 1957. [27]
  2. 1 2 Points for shared drives were shared equally between the drivers, regardless of how many laps each driver completed. [10]
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Points were shared equally between drivers who set the same fastest lap time (an extreme example of which happened in the 1954 British Grand Prix where seven drivers set the same fastest lap time, and each received 1⁄7 of a point). [28]
  4. 1 2 Points for shared drives were shared equally between the drivers, even if they drove more than one points-scoring car (e.g. 1955 Argentine Grand Prix), unless one driver was deemed to have completed "insufficient distance" (e.g. 1957 British Grand Prix). [11]
  5. ↑ Drivers who shared more than one car in a race only received points for their highest finish (e.g. 1956 Monaco Grand Prix). [11]
  6. 1 2 3 4 Formula 2 cars raced with Formula One cars in the following Grands Prix, but were ineligible for World Championship points:
  7. ↑ Points were no longer awarded for shared race drives (e.g. 1958 Italian Grand Prix, 1960 Argentine Grand Prix). [11]
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Only the points of the highest-scoring driver for each constructor at each race (including privateer entries) were counted towards the Constructors' Championship. [10]
  9. 1 2 The point for fastest lap was only awarded to drivers, not constructors. [10]
  10. 1 2 3 The points in the Indianapolis 500 were only awarded only to drivers and not constructors. [10]
  11. ↑ Points were awarded on a 9–6–4–3–2–1 basis for the 1961 Drivers' title, and on an 8–6–4–3–2–1 basis for the 1961 Constructors' title. [29]
  12. ↑ Drivers who were not classified (i.e. did not complete a specified amount of race distance) did not score points, even if they finished in the top six places. [11]
  13. ↑ Second drivers of teams that officially entered only one car were not eligible for points. This affected Jo Gartner (Osella) and Gerhard Berger (ATS) who finished fifth and sixth at the 1984 Italian Grand Prix, and Yannick Dalmas (Larrousse) who finished fifth at the 1987 Australian Grand Prix. Their points were not redistributed. [11]
  14. ↑ In 2014, double points were awarded in the last race of the season. [30]
  15. ↑ The point for fastest lap was only awarded if the driver was classified in the top 10 in the race. [25]
  16. 1 2 No official fastest lap was awarded at the 2021 Belgian Grand Prix. [31]
  17. ↑ The first race for which half-points were awarded was the 1975 Spanish Grand Prix. [16]
  18. 1 2 The requirement to complete two laps is believed to have been implemented between 1977 and 1980. [15]
  19. ↑ The regulation regarding half-points in the case of exactly two laps being completed was slightly amended in 2016; no race was affected by this amendment. [33]
  20. 1 2 Points were only awarded from 2019 to 2024. [14]
  21. ↑ In 2022, if a Grand Prix was restarted but was subsequently shortened due to reaching the regulations-imposed time limit – as had happened at the 2022 Japanese Grand Prix – then full points were awarded. [34] [35]
  22. ↑ Starting in 2023, the number of points awarded is based on percentage of distance covered regardless of whether a race is ended under a red flag, or is restarted and then subsequently shortened due to reaching the regulations-imposed time limit. [36] This change to the regulations was made in order to correct a drafting error in the 2022 regulations, which saw full points unexpectedly awarded at the 2022 Japanese Grand Prix, which only saw 28 laps completed before the time limit expired. [21]

References

General
Specific
  1. 1 2 3 "The FIA FAQ on Formula One World Championship". AtlasF1 . Archived from the original on 5 April 2001. Retrieved 28 February 2021.
  2. ↑ Williamson, Martin. "A brief history of Formula One". ESPN. Archived from the original on 6 April 2015. Retrieved 23 December 2020.
  3. ↑ Hughes & Tremayne 2002 , pp. 82–83
  4. 1 2 3 Budzinski, Oliver; Feddersen, Arne (March 2019). "Measuring Competitive Balance in Formula One Racing" (PDF). Ilmenau Economics Discussion Papers. 25 (121): 5, 7. ISSN   0949-3859. Archived (PDF) from the original on 10 April 2021. Retrieved 28 February 2021– via EconStor.
  5. ↑ Murphy, Luke (8 December 2018). "Hamilton & Mercedes F1 officially crowned at FIA Prize Giving Ceremony". Motorsport.com . Archived from the original on 8 December 2020. Retrieved 19 September 2020.
  6. ↑ Morlidge, Matt (7 December 2019). "Lewis Hamilton officially crowned 2019 F1 champion at FIA gala". Sky Sports. Archived from the original on 20 December 2019. Retrieved 19 September 2020.
  7. 1 2 "Statistics Drivers – Points by number". StatsF1. Retrieved 7 December 2025.
  8. 1 2 "Statistics Constructors – Points – By number". StatsF1. Retrieved 7 December 2025.
  9. ↑ "All-Time Calendar". ChicaneF1. Retrieved 7 December 2025.
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Hayhoe 1989 , p. 8
  11. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Hayhoe 1989, p. 165
  12. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "World Championship points systems". 8W. Forix. 18 January 2019. Archived from the original on 24 September 2019. Retrieved 21 December 2020.
  13. ↑ "FIA adopts top-eight points system" . Autosport . 13 December 2002. Archived from the original on 10 April 2021. Retrieved 10 April 2021.
  14. 1 2 "Formula 1 adopts new points system for 2010 season". BBC Sport. 2 February 2010. Archived from the original on 29 November 2017. Retrieved 10 April 2021.
  15. 1 2 3 4 Cooper, Adam (1 September 2021). "How a 40-year-old rule turned F1 on its head at Spa". Motorsport.com . Archived from the original on 1 September 2021. Retrieved 1 September 2021.
  16. 1 2 Mitchell, Scott; Straw, Edd (31 August 2021). "The five other times half-points were awarded in F1". The Race. Archived from the original on 31 August 2021. Retrieved 1 September 2021.
  17. 1 2 Noble, Jonathan; Cooper, Adam (29 August 2021). "Why one-lap Belgian Grand Prix counted for F1 points". Motorsport.com . Archived from the original on 29 August 2021. Retrieved 29 August 2021.
  18. 1 2 "F1 Commission approves changes to Sporting Regulations regarding points for shortened races". Formula One. 14 February 2022. Archived from the original on 14 February 2022. Retrieved 15 February 2022.
  19. 1 2 3 "2022 Formula One Sporting Regulations" (PDF). Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile. 15 March 2022. pp. 4–5. Archived (PDF) from the original on 16 March 2022. Retrieved 18 March 2022.
  20. ↑ Valantine, Henry (9 October 2022). "FIA explain how Max Verstappen was able to clinch World Championship in Japan". PlanetF1. Archived from the original on 9 October 2022. Retrieved 9 October 2022.
  21. 1 2 3 Cooper, Sam (23 February 2023). "Wet races, half points and a new fan engagement activity – the FIA rule changes analysed". Yahoo! Sports. Archived from the original on 25 March 2023. Retrieved 25 March 2023.
  22. ↑ Arron & Dodgins 2022 , p. 46
  23. ↑ Cooper, Adam (14 February 2022). "F1 reveals three sprint races for 2022 with points for top eight" . Autosport . Archived from the original on 15 February 2022. Retrieved 15 February 2022.
  24. ↑ "Formula 1 announces venues for six F1 Sprint events across 2023 season". Formula1.com. 7 December 2022. Archived from the original on 7 December 2022. Retrieved 28 April 2023.
  25. 1 2 Galloway, James (12 March 2019). "F1 2019: Point for fastest lap to be introduced at Australian GP". Sky Sports. Archived from the original on 10 April 2021. Retrieved 10 April 2021.
  26. ↑ Benson, Andrew (17 October 2024). "F1 drops fastest lap bonus point from 2025". BBC Sport . Retrieved 18 October 2024.
  27. ↑ Hayhoe 1989, p. 196
  28. ↑ Esler, William (11 April 2014). "The complicated history of Formula 1's historical facts and stats". Sky Sports. Archived from the original on 12 April 2014. Retrieved 10 April 2021.
  29. ↑ Guichard & Wilkins 1961, p. 116
  30. ↑ Spurgeon, Brad (26 November 2016). "Double Points in Racing? Not After What Happened Last Time" . The New York Times . Archived from the original on 10 April 2021. Retrieved 10 April 2021.
  31. ↑ "Мазепин потерял лучший круг на Гран-при Бельгии" [Mazepin lost the best lap at the Belgian Grand Prix] (in Russian). RIA Novosti. 29 August 2021. Archived from the original on 30 August 2021. Retrieved 15 February 2022.
  32. ↑ Cooper, Adam (15 March 2022). "F1 clarifies safety car rules after Abu Dhabi controversies" . Autosport . Archived from the original on 15 March 2022. Retrieved 16 March 2022.
  33. ↑ "2016 Formula One Sporting Regulations". Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile. 20 April 2016. p. 3. Archived from the original on 1 May 2021. Retrieved 15 February 2022.
  34. ↑ Noble, Jonathan (9 October 2022). "Why Verstappen was crowned champion despite shortened Japanese GP". Motorsport.com . Archived from the original on 9 October 2022. Retrieved 9 October 2022.
  35. ↑ Beer, Matt (9 October 2022). "The rule anomaly behind Verstappen's confusing F1 coronation". The Race. Archived from the original on 16 January 2023. Retrieved 9 October 2022.
  36. ↑ Collantine, Keith (21 February 2023). "F1 tweaks flawed points rule, eases radio restrictions and approves new rain tyres". RaceFans.net. Archived from the original on 22 February 2023. Retrieved 21 February 2023.
  37. ↑ Ostler, Simon (13 October 2022). "The 9 most dominant F1 world champions". Goodwood Road & Racing. Archived from the original on 24 September 2023. Retrieved 23 September 2023.
  38. ↑ https://www.espn.co.uk/f1/story/_/id/39004334/the-mind-blowing-stats-underline-verstappen-dominance
  39. ↑ Jones 2015, p. 51.
  40. ↑ Schot, Marcel; Borsboom, Marcel (25 February 2004). "2004 Countdown: Facts & Stats". AtlasF1 . Archived from the original on 19 September 2017. Retrieved 23 September 2023.
  41. ↑ Roebuck, Nigel (9 December 2002). "2002 Motorsports Season In Review: Formula One: Another Rout: Nobody Was Close To Ferrari". Autoweek . Archived from the original on 9 February 2023. Retrieved 23 September 2023.
  42. ↑ "Longest time between Formula One points". Guinness World Records . 28 July 2019. Archived from the original on 21 June 2021. Retrieved 10 April 2021.
  43. ↑ "Statistics Drivers – Points – Interval between the first and the last". StatsF1. Retrieved 7 December 2025.
  44. ↑ "Most consecutive Formula One Grand Prix points finishes (by driver)". Guinness World Records . 29 November 2020. Archived from the original on 11 April 2021. Retrieved 10 April 2021.
  45. ↑ "Max Verstappen makes F1 history as youngest in points". USA Today . Associated Press. 29 March 2015. Archived from the original on 21 June 2021. Retrieved 10 April 2021.
  46. ↑ "Age and the F1 driver – from teenage stars to fast 50-year-olds". Formula One. 22 October 2014. Archived from the original on 15 December 2017. Retrieved 10 April 2021.

Bibliography

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