Formula 1 standings are the key indicators of success across a season of Grand Prix and Sprint races. The standings award points to the top ten finishers in each race with 25 awarded to the winner, while teams are also scored on their overall tally of drivers finishing within the top 10.
Each driver’s championship and team’s constructors title are decided based on their total number of championship points throughout the season. A maximum of 44 points can be earned at each race, with 25 being awarded for a win and eight on offer for a sprint round victory. Drivers are able to change teams during the year, however the points they earn in their previous team count towards their current tally.
In the 74 years since the first Constructors Championship was run, Ferrari lead the way with 16 titles, ahead of Williams and McLaren on nine each and Mercedes on eight. In addition, Red Bull have clinched four consecutive team titles.
Although it’s fairly common for the champion to be a race winner, there have been plenty of seasons where one driver has won the championship without winning a single race. For instance, Keke Rosberg took the title in 1982 and Mike Hawthorn claimed it in 1958 despite only scoring just a single victory.
Aside from deciding the world championship winners, Formula 1 standings are crucial for each team as they battle to earn the right to keep their garage space in the pit lane. This can be a huge advantage as it allows them to work with their engineers in close proximity, allowing for quicker communication and more accurate set-up of the car. In addition, the position of a team’s garage in the pit lane is determined by its finishing position in the previous season’s championship, with those at the front having garages closest to the entrance.