Fastest Lap
No extra points
Between 2019 and 2024 a driver could pick up one bonus point for the fastest lap if they also finished in the top 10. That bonus was scrapped from the 2025 season and there is still no fastest lap point in 2026.
2026 F1 Scoring Guide
Race & Sprint Points Explained
In a Formula 1 Grand Prix the top 10 finishers score championship points. The winner takes 25 points, while a Sprint win is worth 8.
- Race Win 25 PTS
- Sprint Win 8 PTS
Based on the 2026 FIA regulations
F1 points at a glance
The three biggest hauls in a Grand Prix. These are the scoring rules, not any actual race result.
- 1st 25 PTS
- 2nd 18 PTS
- 3rd 15 PTS
Grand Prix points
Points are awarded down to 10th place. Drivers classified 11th or lower score nothing.
2026 Grand Prix points by finishing position
- 1st 25 PTS
- 2nd 18 PTS
- 3rd 15 PTS
- 4th 12 PTS
- 5th 10 PTS
- 6th 8 PTS
- 7th 6 PTS
- 8th 4 PTS
- 9th 2 PTS
- 10th 1 PTS
- 11th and below 0 PTS
Sprint points
The Sprint is a short Saturday race. Only the top eight finishers score, and the scale is much flatter than the Grand Prix.
2026 Sprint points by finishing position
- 1st 8 PTS
- 2nd 7 PTS
- 3rd 6 PTS
- 4th 5 PTS
- 5th 4 PTS
- 6th 3 PTS
- 7th 2 PTS
- 8th 1 PTS
- 9th and below 0 PTS
Maximum points in one weekend
On a Sprint weekend a single driver can win both races. Because there is no fastest lap bonus in 2026, 33 points is the ceiling.
Sprint Win
8 PTS
Race Win
25 PTS
Maximum
33 PTS
On a regular (non-Sprint) weekend the maximum for one driver is 25 points.
Are there bonus points?
Pole Position
No extra points
Pole position decides where a driver starts the race, which matters a lot on track. But qualifying first does not add any championship points on its own.
Drivers vs Constructors championship
The same race result feeds two different championships. The example below uses made-up drivers purely to show the maths.
Example: two drivers from the same team
Driver A
1st
25 PTS
Driver B
4th
12 PTS
Constructor
Team total
37 PTS
| Driver | Finish | PTS |
|---|---|---|
| Driver A | 1st | 25 |
| Driver B | 4th | 12 |
Drivers championship
Each driver keeps their own points: Driver A gains 25, Driver B gains 12. They are separate totals.
Constructors championship
The team adds both drivers together: 25 + 12 = 37 points from this one race.
Looking for actual race results?
This page only explains the rules. For real finishing orders and points from each Grand Prix, open the 2026 season calendar and pick a race.
Open the 2026 season calendarSpecial cases
You do not need these on day one. Open a card when you run into the situation.
What happens to points if a race is stopped?
If a Grand Prix is red-flagged and cannot be restarted, points are cut according to how much of the scheduled distance the leader completed. There are four tiers.
| Pos. | 2 laps to under 25% | 25% to under 50% | 50% to under 75% | 75% or more |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 6 | 13 | 19 | 25 |
| 2nd | 4 | 10 | 14 | 18 |
| 3rd | 3 | 8 | 12 | 15 |
| 4th | 2 | 6 | 10 | 12 |
| 5th | 1 | 5 | 8 | 10 |
| 6th | 0 | 4 | 6 | 8 |
| 7th | 0 | 3 | 4 | 6 |
| 8th | 0 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| 9th | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| 10th | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
75% or more means the normal full scale applies: 25-18-15-12-10-8-6-4-2-1.
The two-lap condition
Before any of this applies, the leader must complete at least two full laps in a row with no Safety Car or Virtual Safety Car running. If a race never gets going properly and only crawls behind the Safety Car, nobody scores at all.
What about the Sprint?
The Sprint has no four-tier reduction table. The same two-lap condition applies first, and if the shortened Sprint still counts, the normal 8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 scale is used. The exact minimum distance for a Sprint can be revised between seasons, so check the FIA regulations linked below for the current figure.
Can a DNF still score points?
Yes, it can happen. A car that never takes the chequered flag is still classified as long as it completed at least 90% of the distance the winner covered, rounded down to whole laps.
So a retirement in the closing laps does not automatically wipe a driver off the results sheet. If they were inside the top 10 and had covered enough distance, the points still stand. Retire early, though, and there is no classification and no points.
What if two drivers finish the season level on points?
Points alone do not decide it. The tie is broken by counting back through results: the driver with more wins ranks higher. Still level, and it goes to the number of second places, then third places, and so on down the order.
If every single placing is identical all the way down, the FIA decides the outcome using criteria it considers appropriate. The same countback principle applies to the constructors championship.
Frequently asked questions
How many points does an F1 race win give?
A Grand Prix win is worth 25 points. That has not changed for the 2026 season.
How many finishers score points in F1?
The top 10 finishers score in a Grand Prix. Anyone classified 11th or lower scores zero.
How many points is an F1 Sprint win worth?
The Sprint winner gets 8 points, and only the top eight finishers score in a Sprint.
Does the fastest lap score a bonus point in F1?
No. The bonus point for fastest lap was dropped from the 2025 season and there is still no fastest lap point in 2026. Pole position does not award championship points either.
What is the maximum points haul in one F1 weekend?
On a Sprint weekend one driver can score 8 points in the Sprint plus 25 for the Grand Prix win, for a maximum of 33 points.
Related terms
Terms that come up a lot when points are being discussed.
Source & basis
Based on the 2026 FIA Formula One Regulations (Section A: General Regulatory Provisions / Section B: Sporting Regulations). Summarised for readers rather than quoted; always treat the published regulations as the authority.