Every position you hear a commentator mention on a Sunday afternoon translates into championship points. Two titles are decided across a season, and both come down to adding those points up.
Race points
Points go to the top 10 finishers in a Grand Prix, on a sliding scale:
| Pos | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pts | 25 | 18 | 15 | 12 | 10 | 8 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 1 |
Anyone finishing 11th or lower scores nothing. There used to be a bonus point for the fastest lap of the race (awarded only if that driver also finished in the top 10), but it was scrapped from 2025 onward, so the table above is the whole story today.
Sprint points
The six sprint weekends award their own points, separately from the main race, to the top eight finishers: 8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1. They are smaller than race points by design, but over a season they can swing a close title fight.
The two championships
Points feed two standings. The Drivers’ Championship goes to the individual who accumulates the most points over the year. The Constructors’ Championship sums the points of both of a team’s cars, so a team needs two strong drivers, not just one star. The constructors’ title also determines how prize money is shared out, which is why teams care about it just as much as the drivers’ crown.
Settling a tie
If two drivers finish level on points, the title goes to whoever has more wins. Still level, and it falls to who has more second places, then thirds, and so on down the order. A season can come down to a single result from months earlier.