The global spectacle of Formula 1 is a dynamic battle of speed, strategy, and engineering excellence. Twenty drivers, two from each team, compete in a demanding calendar of Grand Prix races and shorter sprint events. Each race counts as a championship point, and each moment on the track can dramatically alter the standings. The driver and team who collect the most points win the championship, which has enormous financial implications for teams through prize money distribution.
The system of awarding F1 points has evolved over the years, with changes in priority balancing driving excellence and competitiveness. The current scoring system awards a maximum of 25 points to the winner of a Grand Prix and a sliding scale of points for each position behind, with tenth place receiving one point. In addition, points are awarded for sprint races and the number of fastest laps. The team with the most points, determined by adding the total of each driver’s points, wins the Constructors’ Championship.
In 74 seasons of F1 racing, it has never been the case that two drivers finished with equal numbers of points. If this were to happen in 2025, a tiebreaker would be applied according to the formula for deciding world champions.
It’s also worth noting that, unlike in other sports, F1 teams earn points not just for their drivers’ finishing positions but for how they perform as a team. This means that a driver may need to sacrifice their own finish position in order to help their teammate, and this can often be seen at the shortest races when strategies are based around maximising team points rather than winning by the narrowest margin.