Formula One Frequently Asked Questions
- How are points awarded?
- What do the different flags mean?
- What is oversteer/understeer?
- What are the rules of Formula One?
The first eight drivers finishing each race earn the following points for the driver and their team:
| Position | Points | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 10 | |
| 2 | 8 | |
| 3 | 6 | |
| 4 | 5 | |
| 5 | 4 | |
| 6 | 3 | |
| 7 | 2 | |
| 8 | 1 |
Back to the topWhat do the different flags mean?
| Flag | Meaning | |
|---|---|---|
| Chequered | You've finished the race! | |
| White | There is a slow-moving vehicle on the track, such as a tow truck or safety car. | |
| Yellow | Danger ahead, no overtaking is allowed. A single waved yellow flag means slow down, a double waved yellow flag means be prepared to stop if necessary. | |
| Red and yellow striped | The track is slippery, with water or oil on the track. | |
| Green | A hazard has been cleared and the cars can race normally again. | |
| Blue | A car is about to lap you, let it past. If a car being lapped does not let the car overtake after seeing three blue flags then the driver is penalised. | |
| Black and white diagonal halves | This is a warning that you have shown unsportsmanlike behaviour. Shown with the car number. | |
| Red | The race has been stopped. | |
| Black with orange circle | Your car has a mechanical problem and must pull into the puts immediately. Shown with the car number. | |
| Black | You are disqualified! Pull into the pits immediately. Shown with the car number. |
Put simply, when you turn into a corner, oversteer is when the car turns more than you expect and understeer is when it turns less than you expect. If a car has neither then it has neutral handling. Understeer is safer than oversteer, oversteer can cause a car to spin. Different drivers like their car setup in different ways, and these characteristics can be controlled by various settings on the car.
What are the rules of Formula One?
The rules of Formula One are set by motorsport's governing body, the Federation Internationale de L'Automobile (FIA). There are two sets of rules, the technical regulations and the sporting regulations.