The race points table
F1's core scoring hasn't changed in years: the top 10 finishers in a Grand Prix score points on a 25-18-15-12-10-8-6-4-2-1 scale — 25 for the win, down to a single point for 10th. Finish 11th or lower and a driver scores nothing at all from that race, regardless of how strong their pace was.
Sprint points: a separate, smaller scale
2026 runs six sprint weekends — Shanghai, Miami, Montreal, Silverstone, Zandvoort and Singapore — each adding a separate, shorter Saturday race worth its own points on an 8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 scale for the top eight finishers. Sprint points and race points from the same weekend simply add together into the same championship total; there's no separate "sprint championship" standing apart from the main one.
Try it: build a real weekend score
Because sprint and race points come from two different scales scored on different days, it's easy to lose track of how a single weekend's total actually adds up. Try it below.
Build a Real F1 Weekend Score
Pick a Sunday race finish and, on a sprint weekend, a Saturday sprint finish, to see exactly how a driver's weekend total is actually built.
Why there's no fastest-lap bonus any more
Until 2024, an extra point went to whichever driver set the race's fastest lap, provided they finished in the top 10 — a rule specifically designed to stop backmarkers pitting late for fresh tyres purely to steal the point. That bonus point was abolished starting in the 2025 season, so finishing position alone now decides every point scored in both the race and sprint formats.
Two championships from the same points
Every points-scoring result feeds two separate titles simultaneously: the Drivers' Championship, credited to the individual driver, and the Constructors' Championship, which simply adds together both of a team's cars' points from every session. A team can win the constructors' title even if neither of its drivers wins the drivers' championship individually, provided its combined tally across both cars is high enough.
How a tie in the standings is actually broken
If two or more drivers or teams finish a season on identical points, the tiebreaker isn't a coin flip or head-to-head record — it comes down to countback: whoever has more race wins takes the higher position, and if that's still tied, whoever has more 2nd-place finishes, then 3rd, and so on down the full finishing order until the tie is broken.
For the sport's wider technical rules, see our complete guide to Formula 1.
Frequently asked questions
How many points does winning an F1 race give you?
25 points, on a table running 25-18-15-12-10-8-6-4-2-1 for the top 10 finishers. Finishing 11th or lower scores nothing.
How many sprint races are there in the 2026 F1 season?
Six: Shanghai, Miami, Montreal, Silverstone, Zandvoort and Singapore. Each awards its own points on an 8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 scale for the top eight finishers.
Is there still a bonus point for fastest lap in F1?
No — that bonus point was abolished starting in the 2025 season. Finishing position alone now decides every point scored.
Do sprint points count toward the same championship as race points?
Yes. Sprint and race points from the same weekend simply add together into one championship total — there's no separate standing for sprint results.
How is a tie in the F1 championship standings broken?
By countback: whoever has more race wins ranks higher, and if that's tied too, whoever has more 2nd-place finishes, then 3rd, continuing down the finishing order until the tie breaks.
Can a team win the Constructors' Championship without either driver winning the Drivers' title?
Yes — the Constructors' title is simply both of a team's cars' points added together, so a team with two consistently strong drivers can out-total a rival with one dominant champion and one weaker teammate.
Sources
Pippa has followed open-wheel racing for 12 years, from Formula 1's turbo-hybrid era to IndyCar's short ovals, and has watched competitive sim racing grow from a niche hobby into a genuine motorsport discipline in its own right. She covers circuit and open-wheel racing, touring cars and esports for CNMOTOS.
View all articles by Pippa Cook →
