The F1 points system has changed several times throughout the sport’s history, and its last adjustment came in 2022 with a change to the way points were awarded in sprint qualifying.
Reaching Formula 1 is the goal of any driver arriving at grassroots level, but although few drivers reach the top level in the first place, even fewer score points in F1 – getting more and more choice for those who have won races. and championships.
Simply put, in Formula 1 as in many game shows of years past: points mean prizes.
The Drivers’ and Constructors’ Championships rely on them to sort out the best from the rest, and they were once doled out in multiple ways.
Whether it’s just for the top five and then the top six, or the points you score by counting only from a certain number of your best results, the current F1 points system makes it easier than ever to keep track of who marks what.
It’s also the most liberal system, with each of the top 10 scoring points, and the driver with the fastest lap in the race – provided they also finish in the top 10 – scoring a bonus point for it.
And with 24 races scheduled for 2023, as well as six sprints, there is a maximum total of 672 points for a driver to score for the season.
So, based on a normal race weekend, here’s how F1 points are awarded on a race-by-race basis:
F1 Points – Grand Prix
1st – 25th
2nd – 18th
3rd – 15
4th – 12
5th – 10
6th – 8th
7th – 6
8th – 4
9th – 2
10th – 1
Fastest lap – 1 [if fastest lap driver finishes inside top 10]
[These F1 points are awarded based on a race which has completed 75% or more of its scheduled distance, or for a race which was resumed after a red flag stoppage, then ended under green flag conditions and had at least two full racing laps, as was the case at the 2022 Japanese Grand Prix].
F1 Points – Sprint Qualifying
The number of sprints will double from three to six during the 2023 F1 season, offering a possible additional 48 points to drivers who place at the front of the grid on sprint weekends.
These points are distributed as follows:
1st – 8th
2nd – 7th
3rd – 6
4th – 5th
5th – 4
6th – 3
7th – 2
8th – 1
[Sprint points are only awarded if the leader goes beyond 50% sprint race distance]
F1 points – shortened races
After the confusion surrounding the 2021 Belgian Grand Prix, in which half points were awarded and a full race result declared despite only two laps completed behind the safety car in torrential rain, the FIA has introduced a series of changes at the F1 points to ensure that such a problem could not happen again in the same way, if a race is “choked” or if other circumstances prevent a full race from taking place.
The main one is that no points will be awarded unless two laps of the race can be taken without the assistance of the Safety Car or the Virtual Safety Car, which is particularly relevant in difficult conditions.
But if a race cannot be completed, the FIA has devised a ‘column of points’ system, which awards points based on how much of the race was completed before it was canceled or ended before the full lap count cannot be accomplished – with FIA regulations stipulating a maximum of two hours of racing in a three-hour window.
Point columns award points as follows:
FIA F1 Points Column 1 [two laps – 25% race distance]
1st – 6th
2nd – 4th
3rd – 3
4th – 2
5th – 1
FIA F1 Points Column 2 [25% – 50% race distance]
1st – 13th
2nd – 10th
3rd – 8th
4th – 6th
5th – 5
6th – 4
7th – 3
8th – 2
9th – 1
FIA F1 Points Column 3 [50% – 75% race distance]
1st – 19th
2nd – 14th
3rd – 12
4th – 9th
5th – 8
6th – 6
7th – 5
8th – 3
9th – 2
10th – 1
[Full points awarded beyond 75% race distance, all points tallies correct as per 2022 FIA Sporting Regulations].
Read more: F1 records: Drivers with longest points streaks in history
#points #system #drivers #score #points