Formula 1 is a global spectacle of speed, strategy and engineering excellence. Its drivers and teams are battling for supremacy in every race, with their final Championship score determining the season’s champions. Tracking the race results is simple thanks to live rankings, while understanding how these rankings are calculated reveals the competitive essence of F1.
In 2023, there will be 23 races across Europe and beyond. Each one involves thousands of parts – spanning everything from detailed bodywork to turbo-hybrid power units and eight-speed paddle shift gearboxes to 18-inch tyres. They all work together to create some of the fastest, most advanced cars on the planet. When it’s all over, the top three drivers stand on a winners’ podium to receive their trophies – and a lot of champagne poured from magnum bottles.
The 2023 Championship standings are calculated based on a driver’s accumulated points throughout the season, with every finish in a Grand Prix and Sprint race counting towards their tally. Additionally, the top ten finishers in each race earn championship points. Those with the fastest lap at the end of a race will win an extra point.
Unlike in the past, when not all results counted, now every point scored counts towards a Driver’s or Constructors’ Championship – although it must be noted that unadjusted points totals are likely to be skewed in favour of recent years. Drivers with the most points at the end of a season are awarded the World Drivers or World Constructors Championship, depending on their position in the table.