F1 points system in 2023

All you need to know about the F1 points system in 2023

If you are a novice or an experienced F1 fan and don’t know everything about the F1 points system yet then don’t worry: we’ve got your back! There is so much more to the Formula 1 championship than just racing around a circuit. Think about the different and unique Grand Prix circuits, the racing rules and not unimportant: the F1 points system.

Find out all you need to know about Formula 1 points system in 2023. You’ll be the F1 expert, explaining F1 penalty points, sprint races, constructors’ points and much more!

1) How do F1 points work?
2) F1 fastest lap point
3) F1 constructors points system
4) F1 sprint race points
5) F1 penalty points
6) Half points F1
7) More Formula 1 for you

1. How do F1 points work?

In the previous blog about the most important F1 rules it was explained that Formula 1 is both a team sport and an individual sport. During the World Championship the drivers and teams want to earn as many points as possible at the different Grands Prix. Whoever manages to score the most points wins the title: F1 World Champion.

The F1 points distribution in Grands Prix racing is simple. Whoever crosses the finish line first gets the most points. The drivers who finish in the top ten at a Grand Prix get F1 World Championship points. Whoever has collected the most points at the end of the season is crowned world champion. To the right you will find an overview of the F1 points per finishing position.

Tiebreak
If there are drivers with the same number of points at the end of the season, the driver with the most victories will be crowned the champion. If both drivers also have the same number of victories then we look at the most second places, and so on… This is also called a tiebreak.

F1 points per race 2023

6. Half points F1

Have you ever seen half points awarded at an F1 Grand Prix? Hold on tight, because here we explain how to earn half points in an F1 race. When the race is interrupted by a red flag, not all points can be awarded. The FIA has a special F1 points system for this. Since 2022, the organisation looks at how much has been driven in increments of 25%. Before this rule you got half points when less than 75% of the total race was driven.

With this new Formula point system it means that ‘half points’ are no longer possible. Besides, there is no chance that we will see this F1 points system. Since 1975 Formula 1 has only ended a Grand Prix 6 times before the 75% was scored. Below you can see the scoring of an interrupted race.

2. F1 fastest lap point

Since 2020, drivers have been able to earn a bonus point for driving the fastest lap. The only condition is that the driver must finish in the top 10 in the race, otherwise the bonus point will not be given.

3. F1 constructors points system

Formula 1 actually has two championships. One driver can become F1 World Champion and the team can also become F1 World Champions. This is also called the constructors’ championship, but how does the F1 Constructors’ Championship points system actually work?

The F1 points system works the same as for the drivers. The only difference is that you add up the points of two drivers from the same team. For example Max Verstappen and Sergio Pérez drive for Red Bull Racing. The points of the drivers go to the Red Bull team. The stakes are high. The higher a team finishes, the more money they have at their disposal in the coming year.

4. F1 sprint race points

Meet the F1 sprint race points system. From 2021, sprint races will be held which are determined in advance by the FIA. This Formula 1 season there are six sprint races: Azerbaijan, Austria, Belgium, Qatar, USA and Brazil.

Formula 1 points can also be scored in the sprint race. For the sprint race, which is held on Saturday, there is a special F1 points system. Position 1 gets 8 points, position 2 gets 7 points, position 3 gets 6 points and so on.

Also new from this season: the F1 sprint race winner will not receive an official pole position designation since 2022. The pole position title will be awarded to the fastest driver in the qualifying session on Friday. The winner of the sprint race does start at the front during the race on Sunday.

5. F1 penalty points

How many penalty points are you allowed in F1?

It works as follows: the drivers are not allowed to have more than 12 penalty points on their F1 racing license within 12 months. When this happens the driver will be suspended for the next race. If a penalty point is given more than 12 months ago, it will be cancelled.

How does a driver receive F1 penalty points?

The concept is simple. If you commit an offence, you will receive F1 penalty points. For one offence you can receive one penalty point or sometimes several penalty points. A minor offence, such as driving too wide too often, will usually cost a driver one penalty point. A more serious offence, such as disregarding flags, often results in two or more penalty points.