Formula 1 is a global spectacle of speed, strategy, and engineering excellence. Throughout the season, twenty drivers, two from each team, battle it out for championship points across a demanding calendar of races and shorter, preliminary events called Sprints. It’s a sport where a fraction of a second can make all the difference. It’s therefore important for fans to understand how F1 standings are calculated – the real-time indicator that explains where each driver stands at any point in the season.
Drivers score points for themselves and their teams by finishing within the top ten in each race. The team with the most points at the end of the season is crowned champions of both the Drivers’ and Constructors’ Championships. When drivers move between teams during a season, they keep the individual driver points they earned with their previous team.
The system for awarding points has evolved over the years, with changes in priority balancing driving excellence and competitiveness. The system in place today rewards the teams and drivers that can get to the top of the podium, but dangles a carrot for the drivers and teams who might not challenge for victory – the coveted top ten places are still worth millions of pounds in prize money.
Dead heats between teams happen regularly – though it’s never happened to decide the title itself. If two teams are level on points at the end of the season, it’s decided by counting back results to find the winner, with teams with more wins placed higher than those with more second place finishes and so on until a decision is reached.