Points for shortened races
When a race ends before 75% of the planned distance has been run, the drivers don't get the full points. Instead there's a sliding scale based on how far the leader got. The less of the race that's been run, the fewer points are given and the fewer drivers score.
This usually happens when heavy rain or a bad crash stops the race with a red flag and it can't be restarted, or when the race hits its time limit before the full distance is done.
The scale
Distance is measured by the number of laps the leader has completed, as a share of the planned race distance.
| Position | 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 | 4 | 6 | 8 | |
| 7th | 3 | 4 | 6 | |
| 8th | 2 | 3 | 4 | |
| 9th | 1 | 2 | 2 | |
| 10th | 1 | 1 |
The two-lap minimum
No points are given at all unless the leader has completed at least two full laps in a row without a safety car or virtual safety car. Laps behind the safety car don't count towards this, so a race run entirely behind it scores nothing, however many laps are done.
Sprints
For sprints the rule is simpler. If the leader completes at least 50% of the planned sprint distance, full sprint points are given. If not, nobody scores. The same two-lap minimum applies.
Why the scale exists
The scale was brought in for 2022 because of the 2021 Belgian Grand Prix. Torrential rain at Spa meant the cars only ran a few laps, all behind the safety car, before the race was abandoned. Under the rules at the time, completing two laps was enough for half points, so half points were handed out for a race in which nobody had raced. Fans and drivers were unhappy, and the FIA wrote a new system.
Then came another problem. At the 2022 Japanese Grand Prix, rain delays meant the time limit ran out after only 28 of the planned 53 laps. Most people expected reduced points. But the 2022 wording only applied the scale to races that were stopped and not restarted. The Suzuka race had been restarted and ended normally, so full points were given, which confirmed Max Verstappen as champion that day. Many people, including some in the paddock, were surprised.
The rule was rewritten again for 2023. The scale now applies to any race where the leader hasn't completed 75% of the distance, however it ends.