The basics
How F1 points work: races, sprints and tie-breaks
Points decide everything in Formula 1: both championships, prize money, even which teams get extra wind-tunnel time. Here's exactly how they're handed out.
Grand prix points
The top ten finishers in every grand prix score points. The gaps are deliberately steep at the front, so winning is worth far more than finishing second:
| Position | P1 | P2 | P3 | P4 | P5 | P6 | P7 | P8 | P9 | P10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Points | 25 | 18 | 15 | 12 | 10 | 8 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 1 |
From 2019 to 2024 there was also a bonus point for the fastest lap, as long as the driver finished in the top ten. That bonus was scrapped from 2025, so a perfect grand prix weekend is now worth 25 points.
Sprint points
On sprint weekends the shorter Saturday race pays points to the top eight: 8 for the win, then 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 and 1. A driver who wins both the sprint and the grand prix takes 33 points from the weekend. There are six sprint weekends in 2026; see our guide to how sprint weekends work.
The constructors' championship
Each team's points are simply the total of both its drivers' points. That's why a team with two strong drivers can win the constructors' title even when the drivers' champion races for someone else, and why the battle for sixth or seventh in the constructors' table matters so much: prize money is paid by finishing position.
Shortened races
If a race ends before 75% of its planned distance has been run, whether it's stopped by a red flag or runs out of time, reduced points are paid. Under the current rules no points are given if fewer than two laps were completed under green flag conditions. After that:
| Distance completed | Points paid |
|---|---|
| Up to 25% | 6, 4, 3, 2, 1 to the top five |
| 25% to 50% | 13, 10, 8, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 to the top nine |
| 50% to 75% | 19, 14, 12, 9, 8, 6, 5, 3, 2, 1 to the top ten |
| 75% or more | Full points |
This sliding scale was introduced after the 2021 Belgian Grand Prix, when half points were awarded for a race that ran only a few laps, all behind the safety car. It was tightened for 2023, after a rain-shortened 2022 Japanese Grand Prix still paid full points.
When drivers finish level
If two drivers end the season on the same points, the tie is broken by countback: whoever has more wins finishes ahead. If they have the same number of wins, it goes to the most second places, then thirds, and so on down the order. The same rule applies to teams. It's rare, but it matters in close title fights, which is why our title scenarios tool counts wins as well as points.
Where the 2026 championship stands
Andrea Kimi Antonelli leads on 340 points, 102 ahead of George Russell. There are 150 points left over 6 rounds, and 6 drivers can still win the title. Try the title scenarios.
You can see every driver's points, race by race, on the drivers page, and the full table on the homepage.
