The battle for winning the championship is on in Formula 1, but how does the point system work for the drivers and the teams?
The Formula 1 points are among the basics that every Formula 1 fans should know, but it can be quite confusing, especially for those who are new to the sport. While racing around the world, drivers and teams fight to gain as many points as they can in order to be at the top of the standings. Obviously, the more points the teams and the drivers obtain, the more likely they are to win the World Drivers’ Championship and the World Constructors’ Championship. Let’s see together how the point system in F1 works.
Formula 1 World Drivers’ Championship
During every F1 Grand Prix, drivers in the first 10 positions gain points that allow them to climb the standing. Following the current regulation, the points given to each pilot are:
- 25 for the 1rst position
- 18 for the 2nd position
- 15 for the 3rd position
Drivers from the 4th position to 10th get 12, 10, 8, 6, 4, 2, 1 points each.
From 2019, the point for fastest lap on the track has been reintroduced, but only for the drivers in the point zone.
The driver who scored the most points at the end of the season wins the World Drivers’ Champion title.
Max is in a class of his own currently 🤩#BelgianGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/aQFAVap2Ho
— Formula 1 (@F1) July 30, 2023
Formula 1 World Constructors’ Championship
The World Constructors’ Championship is also very important for the teams in Formula 1. Teams receive points by summing up those scored by both drivers during a race.
Usually, the team that wins the Constructors’ championship is also the car driven by the winner of the World Drivers’ Championship. However, there have been exceptions. Ferrari won the Constructors’ title for 5 times without winning the Drivers’ one: in 1976, 1982, 1983, 1999 and 2008. In 2021, Mercedes won the Constructors’ Championship, but Max Verstappen became World Champion with Red Bull.
Red Bull’s march towards the title continues 💪#BelgianGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/ABHityvTju
— Formula 1 (@F1) July 30, 2023
Some records to remember
Lewis Hamilton and Michael Schumacher are the drivers with most World Champion titles, at the moment. They both won seven championships.
Ferrari holds the record for most pilots who won the Driver’s Championship (15 times) and the record for the most Constructors’ title (16 times). Mercedes has the record for the most titles won consecutively: seven times the Drivers’ Championship and 8 times the Constructors’.
