Points, classification and race distance Points, classification and race distance Share What the sporting regulations say: Formula One races are of near identical distance, calculated in the regulations as the least number of laps required to exceed 305 kilometres. Some races invariably take longer than others however due to the differing average speeds of circuits. The Formula One World Championship driver's title will be awarded to the driver who has scored the highest number of points. Article 6.1 of the 2017 FIA Sporting Regulations The only exception is Monaco, where the race distance is calculated as the minimum number of laps exceeding 260 kilometres. However, a two-hour cut-off applies to all Grands Prix. If this is exceeded, the leading driver will be shown the chequered flag on the lap during which the two-hour mark elapsed. At the conclusion of each Grand Prix, the top ten finishers will score points towards both the drivers’ and constructors’ world championships, according to the following scale: 1st : 25 points 9th : 2 points 10th : 1 point The only exception to this is when a race is suspended and cannot be restarted.

In that instance half points will be awarded if less than 75 percent of the race distance has been completed, while no points will be awarded if less than two laps have been completed. Any driver who completes over 90 percent of the race will be classified as a finisher, regardless of whether they were running as the winner took the chequered flag. The drivers' and constructors' championship titles are awarded to the driver and constructor who score the most points over the course of the season. In the event of any ties for position, the driver with superior race results (based on descending order, from number of wins to numbers of second-places down) will gain precedence. Points | The Formula 1 Wiki | Fandom powered by Wikia Currently, all points scored count towards the Championship; however, this has not always been the case. Originally, not all results counted towards the Championship, and until 1975 , only the team's best-placed car scored points towards the Constructors' Championship. Dropped scores Edit Originally, not every point scored by a team or a driver counted towards the World Championship. Some results would be "dropped" and not included in the final standings.

In the first season, only four results counted out the seven races that were run. The number of results counted was between either four, five or six until 1966 . Between 1967 and 1980 the system was different, with the season split into two for counting purposes. Until 1978 , drivers and teams would drop their worst result from the first half of the season and their worst result from the second half of the season. In 1979 , this became four from each half, and in 1980, five from each half. The Constructors' Championship stopped dropping scores for the 1979 season, and has stayed the same since. From 1981 , the split was removed and a more simple counting system was introduced, where the eleven best results were counted. This lasted until 1990 . From 1991 , all points scored counted towards the Championship for both drivers and constructors. Best constructor result in a race Edit From the Constructors' Championship's inception in 1958 until 1978 , only the team's best-placed car scored points towards the Championship.

This was done as it was not unusual for teams to enter three or four factory cars [1] and have private entries also driving their cars. If this were not in place, it would have given the team with the strongest car an extreme advantage in the Championship race. After 1979 , all points scored by a team at a race counted towards the Championship. Double points Edit Double points for the final race of the season was introduced for the 2014 season as a way of keeping the World Championship battle alive for longer. The new system has been poorly received by fans and drivers, and Sebastian Vettel called the rule "absurd". [2] Bernie Ecclestone attempted to extend the system to include the last three races, but this proposal was rejected. The teams agreed to remove the system for 2015 onwards, a move later verified and put into force by the World Motor Sport Council . Double points allocations Edit Originally, a point was awarded for the driver who set the fastest lap . This single point, however, meant that coming in fifth place earned the driver two points and the driver in sixth place got none. This gap in points was equivalent to the gap between winning and coming second, and hugely significant.

Bob Gerard quite notably finished the first two Championship races in sixth place, and never managed to score any points in F1. The fastest lap point often allowed drivers to score points if they retired from the race. In 1958 and 1959 , the two years in which both the Constructors' Championship and fastest lap point were awarded, the constructors' were not awarded a point for the fastest lap. Additionally, as timekeeping technologies were not brilliantly developed, fastest laps could be shared if the times were not precise enough. The effect of this was felt the most at the 1954 British Grand Prix where no less than seven drivers set a lap time of 1 min 50 secs, each receiving 1⁄7 (0.143) of a point. No driver ever scored all his points through fastest lap points, but in 1954 , both Alberto Ascari (with 1 1⁄7 pts) and Jean Behra (with 1⁄7 pts) scored all their points that season with fastest laps. Behra's total of 1⁄7 points is the lowest total of points above zero that any driver has obtained as his season total.

List of drivers who came sixth but scored no points Driver Maximum points Notes: "5/6, 4/5" means best five results from first six races, and best four results from last five races. Maximum Constructor points assumes a two-car entry. * The Indianapolis 500 was not included in Constructors' World Championship. † Double points for final race. Indianapolis 500 Edit Drivers who drove in the Indianapolis 500 between 1950 and 1960 were given World Championship points if they finished in the top five or took fastest lap ( 1950 – 1959 ) or finished in the top six ( 1960 ). However, only Alberto Ascari , Chuck Daigh , Juan Manuel Fangio , Giuseppe Farina , Lloyd Ruby , Troy Ruttman and Rodger Ward drove in both Indy 500 from 1950–1960 and in World Championship races, and no driver managed to score points in their non-regular event.

Oddly, only once the Indy 500 was dropped from the F1 calendar, did F1 drivers seriously attend, with Jim Clark winning in 1965 and Graham Hill in 1966. Jack Brabham , Jackie Stewart , Jochen Rindt , Denis Hulme and Americans Dan Gurney , Peter Revson and Ronnie Bucknum also competed in the 500 in the 60s. When the Constructors' Championship was introduced, the Indy 500 race was not counted, as the regular F1 teams did not compete in the 500. Shared drives Edit From 1950 to 1957 , drivers who scored points after sharing a car shared points. Cars were shared because races typically used to last around three hours, and drivers would get tired, especially in hot races. The points originally were shared equally, regardless of how many laps were driven. Later, a driver had to drive a "sufficient distance", usually more than three laps, to receive points. Another eventual rule change meant that drivers would only get points for their highest finish if the drove multiple cars in a race.

At the 1955 Argentine Grand Prix , both Giuseppe Farina and Maurice Trintignant finished both second and third, with second place being shared with José Froilán González and third place with Umberto Maglioli . Fourth place was also shared between three cars. As a result, nine drivers scored points (winner Juan Manuel Fangio took the fastest lap), with second place awarding 2 points (instead of 6), third place awarding 1 1⁄3 points (instead of 4), and fourth place awarding 1 point (instead of 3); Farina and Trintignant each scored 3 1⁄3 points. For 1958 and beyond, shared drives were not outlawed, but points would not be awarded. This affected Masten Gregory and Carroll Shelby , who came fourth at the 1958 Italian Grand Prix , and Stirling Moss and Trintignant, who came third at the 1960 Argentine Grand Prix . Neither of these drives scored points. Notable incidents Edit In 1964 , Graham Hill ( BRM ) scored a total of 41 points while John Surtees ( Ferrari ) scored 40.

But, as only the six best results counted, and as Hill scored his points in seven races, Hill had to drop his worst result, a fifth place – which cost two points and gave Surtees his only title. There was a similar result in the Constructors' Championship – BRM scored a total of 51 points and Ferrari scored a total of 49 – but BRM had to drop nine points, while Ferrari dropped only four. So in points that counted, BRM scored 42 but Ferrari, after scoring 45, took the title. 1965 Edit BRM missed out on the Constructors' Championship again in 1965 , earning 61 total points, compared to the Lotus - Climax combination of 58 ( Lotus - BRM cars were raced, and scored two points; and a Lotus - Ford Cosworth entry failed to qualify one race). However, BRM scored points in nine races, when only the best six were counted, and dropped sixteen points while Lotus dropped just four, and Lotus took the title by nine points. 1988 Edit In 1988 , McLaren had the dominant car but not a "No. 1" driver.

Alain Prost , the more consistent driver, scored 105 points; the first driver to score over 100 points in a season. Teammate Ayrton Senna , in his first season at the British team, scored a total of 94. As only the eleven best results counted, meaning only 99 points could be scored, both would have to drop results. Senna ended up with 90, while Prost could only reach 87, and Senna took his first title. The title was, in fact, decided before the final round. At the 1988 Japanese Grand Prix , the penultimate race, if Senna could win, he could take the title. Senna (79 points) was five points down on Prost (84 points, with six dropped) going into the race, but Prost could only add to his total with victories – which would only give him three points as they "replaced" second places. Any point score for Senna at Japan, however, would replace a sixth place obtained in Portugal , so the most points Senna could get from the race would be eight.

This would leave Senna with a three point advantage, regardless of Prost's result. Although Prost could theoretically equal Senna's point total by winning the final round in Australia with Senna fourth or lower, Senna would have eight wins to Prost's seven and Senna would take the title anyway. Senna, after a slow start, won the Japanese Grand Prix, and thus, took the title. Prost won the final race as well, but Senna finished second (and "replaced" a fourth place) to add a clear gap of three points for the final standings. Other incidents Edit In 1979 , the points system was altered so that drivers could only score in four of the first seven races and in four of the last eight. While not inherently an issue, it become so when Alan Jones won in Germany , Austria , the Netherlands and Canada – rounds 10, 11, 12 and 14. This meant that coming into the final race of the season, round 15, the United States Grand Prix , Jones, who occupied third place in the championship, was unable to add to his score, no matter what he did at the race.

Jones took pole position and was leading the race until he retired, meaning he would not have to drop a win from his championship score. 1990 Edit At the Japanese Grand Prix , Ayrton Senna worked out he could secure the 1990 title from rival Alain Prost if Prost retired from the race, as Senna was nine points ahead with Prost one result away from dropping points. When Senna secured pole, but was put on the dirty side of track (meaning Prost, second on the grid, started on the grippier racing line ), Senna decided he would crash into Prost if Prost managed to get ahead at the first corner. As Senna expected, Prost got ahead, and Senna made no attempt to take the first corner and took both drivers out. The result meant that Senna successfully took the Drivers' Championship. 1994 and 1997 Edit In 1994 , after having a controversial season, including a two-race ban, Michael Schumacher was leading the championship by one point over Damon Hill heading into the final race at Adelaide .

On lap 36, with Schumacher, while leading, went off track; Hill, in second, attempted to pass the German. Slightly ahead, Schumacher turned into Hill, forcing his car over Hill's front left tyre and pushing his car onto its left wheels for a few moments. Schumacher's race was run, and while Hill attempted to continue, the collision had terminally damaged his front left suspension wishbone; Schumacher won the title by a solitary point. In 1997 , a similar event occurred, again at the final race; this time it was in Jerez and this time with Schumacher and Jacques Villeneuve . Again, Schumacher was just one point ahead of his Williams rival. Schumacher was leading the race when Villeneuve attempted to overtake at the Dry Sack corner on lap 48. Schumacher turned into Villeneuve, hitting his sidepod with his front right tyre before beaching himself in the gravel.

Villeneuve continued, and although his car was slightly damaged in the collision, he went on to take third place, after letting the McLarens through (allowing Mika Häkkinen to take his first career victory) on the last lap and taking the title by three points. Schumacher was later disqualified from the championship by the FIA , although his results that season were allowed to stand. Unimplemented systems Edit Bernie Ecclestone proposed that for the 2009 season and onwards, the driver who takes the most wins (or golds) would take the title, with tiebreakers being resolved by second places (silver), third places (bronze), and finally points scored in the 10–8–6–5–4–3–2–1 system, which was the system in place at the time. The system was intended to spice up races, as wins were much more valuable than before. While accepted by the World Motor Sport Council (WMSC), protests from the Formula One Teams Association (FOTA) saw the system scrapped. The next season, the points system was completely overhauled, which gave the winner 25 points and saw points distributed to the first ten finishers.

With second place getting 18 points, wins became more valuable, as the percentage of the winner's points earned with a second place dropped from 80% to 72%. Half points Edit Half points are awarded when the race is stopped before three-quarter distance (75%) and cannot be restarted. Each driver would receive half the amount of points they would get for a full race. This is a rare occurrence, and has only happened five times in the history of Formula One. The shortest race in history is the 1991 Australian Grand Prix , of which 14 of the scheduled 81 laps (17%) were completed due to rain. Lella Lombardi , the only woman driver to score points in F1, scored half a point at the 1975 Spanish Grand Prix and remains the only driver to have a career points total of 0.5 points.

List of races where half points have been awarded Race Edit Note: Most books and websites have different values for teams that competed in the early season of F1 such as Ferrari and McLaren , due to the variety of ways constructor points were meddled with over the years – initially not completed for, fastest laps, shared drives, dropped points, often changing systems, the Indy 500 not counting – and as such, a definitive and correct list cannot be created until a book or website creates such a list, stating explicitly how the statistics were created. The following table uses the numbers from the STATS F1 website with the Lotus total adjusted for the original team. It is most likely is not in sequence with the points totals on constructors articles. Pos. United States Grand Prix 2014: Formula One live - Telegraph - Daniel Johnson's chequered flag report Do you think Formula One's funding structure needs to help the smaller teams more? Would you back a strike by the medium-sized and smaller teams? Can Nico Rosberg win from pole for the first time since Hockenheim? Will Lewis Hamilton win the 2014 drivers' title? Answers to these or any observations to rob.bagchi@telegraph.co.uk .

LATEST 22.07 Thank you for your contributions and company tonight. What a compelling race, particularly for points between fifth and 10th places. I think Austin is becoming a favourite track for me. For Lewis Hamilton to trail Nico Rosberg by 0.4sec in qualifying and then to dominate his team-mate in the race is testament to his skill and mettle. But there shall be no counting of chickens here. On to Brazil. Good night. 22.05 2014 drivers' championship with two races to go 1. Lewis Hamilton (Britain) Mercedes 316 2. Nico Rosberg (Germany) Mercedes 292 3. Daniel Ricciardo (Australia) Red Bull 214 4. Valtteri Bottas (Finland) Williams 155 5. Sebastian Vettel (Germany) Red Bull 149 6. Fernando Alonso (Spain) Ferrari 149 7. Jenson Button (Britain) McLaren 94 8. Felipe Massa (Brazil) Williams 83 9.

Nico Huelkenberg (Germany) Force India 76 10. Kevin Magnussen (Denmark) McLaren 53 11. Sergio Perez (Mexico) Force India 47 12. Kimi Raikkonen (Finland) Ferrari 47 13. Jean-Eric Vergne (France) Toro Rosso 23 14. Romain Grosjean (France) Lotus 8 15. Daniil Kvyat (Russia) Toro Rosso 8 16. Jules Bianchi (France) Marussia 2 21.58 Here is Sue Simpson's tribute to Lewis Hamilton It's Hamiltons year no one can beat him when the car doesn't let him down. Best driver by far he will win title. It was a wonderful drive, Sue, and an exquisite overtaking move. He seems to have Rosberg's measure but with the double points available at Abu Dhabi there are still 75 points available for the German in the last two races and only a 24 point deficit to bridge. "I have an incredible team and an incredible car and I had a great opponent today," says Hamilton.

"It is such a privilege to represent my country and to be top of the drivers' standings. The car was great today." 21.54 Lewis Hamilton sprays the champagne after the national anthem. United States Grand Prix result 1 Lewis Hamilton 14 Esteban Gutierrez 15 Daniil Kvyat Here is Daniel Johnson's chequered flag report . I'll update the results and standings as soon as I can type them in. That's the 32nd GP victory of Lewis Hamilton's career, making him the most successful British Formula One driver in history. It's also the 10th Mercedes one-two of the season, matching Alain Prost and Ayrton Senna for McLaren in 1988. Lap 56 It's a one-two for Mercedes, as Hamilton wins the US Grand Prix with Nico Rosberg second, Ricciardo third. "Get in there Lewis, get in there, mate," says his engineer to salute Hamilton's fifth successive victory. "Epic drive, mate, epic." Lap 55 Vettel now moves up into ninth. Hamilton preserves his lead, keeping a 2sec gap.

Lap 54 Maldonado and then Vettel take Button and the last two points places. Hamilton is told to take things easy as the battles go on behind him and he laps Grosjean. Lap 53 Vergne now takes Button, pushing Jenson back into eighth. Lap 52 Hamilton is 3.39sec ahead of Rosberg as all the action takes place almost a minute behind between fifth and 11th. Grosjean's steering is all over the place. Lap 51 Grosjean asks for Vergne to be penalised. Massa moves up half a second on Ricciardo in third. Lap 50 Drama here - Grosjean feels that Vergne bumps him out of the way to capture ninth place but it was a very skilful application of the brakes to then fly up the inside. He's followed by Maldonado, too, to add insult to injury. Lap 49 Button is boxing clever to keep Grosjean and Vergne behind him. He's still complaining about his handling and possible damage caused by the debris from the Perez/Sutil crash. Williams instruct Massa to make his move on Ricciardo.

He's two seconds back in fourth. Lap 48 And just as Rosberg attacks to try to close the gap, Hamilton storms back with a very quyick lap to extend his advantage to 2.3sec. Lap 47 Hamilton's radio tells him that there is some astroturf on the track in turn 19. His lead at the moment is beneath two seconds. Very cat and mouse between first and second both more than 20sec ahead of Massa who is edging closer to Ricciardo for third, less than two seconds behind. Lap 46 It's the Alonso show as far as the racing is concerned. His tyres are warming up and he takes Vettel, who is unhappy on the radio about his handling, for sixth. Lap 45 Alonso is engaged in a three-way duel with Magnussen and Vettel in sixth, seventh and eighth. Alonso is 30 odd seconds behind Bottas in fifth. Lap 44 Alonso rejoins in seventh place, behind Sebastian Vettel. Hamilton leads by 2.2sec from Rosberg. Lap 43 Alonso finally heads into the pits. Lap 42 Vettel takes Magnussen.

He's been lining him up for a couple of laps and uses his soft tyres and brakes to run past. Button takes Grosjean, too. Lap 41 Jenson Button in 11th is shadow boxing with Romain Grosjean and just fails to force him wide and take him on the inside. Lap 40 Hamilton records the quickest lap of the race to push his lead back out to 2.5sec after Rosberg had begun to make inroads into it. Vettel attempts to slip by Magnussen but finds his gap blocked. Lap 39 Maldonado is having one of those days. He's been penalised with a 5sec stop-go sanction for speeding in the pit lane. Lap 38 The two Mercedes drivers trade fastest sector times but hamilton has the straight-line speed edge which allows him to maintain his lead at just under three seconds. Fernando Alonso in sixth still hasn't gone in for a second pit stop. Lap 37 Hamilton fights back to restore his lead to 2.85sec. Ricciardo is almost six seconds behind in third with Massa two seconds behind him.

Lap 36 Remarkably quick lap from Rosberg eats into Hamilton's lead by a second, which is instantly relayed to the race leader. Ricciardo is third, Massa fourth, Bottas fifth, Alonso sixth and Maldonado seventh. Twenty laps to go. Lap 35 Rosberg has overtaken Hamilton at Bahrain this season but is currently almost 3.5sec behind. Lap 34 In comes Rosberg and surrenders the lead to Hamilton on turn one. If it's a two-stop strategy as we expected then this could be it for one-two. Lap 33 Hamilton goes in for his second pit stop as Mercedes bring forward the lead. His earlier pitstop involved a tweak to the wings that Roisberg decided not to go for. David Croft thinks this has proved vital. He's out in 2.88sec, giving Rosberg who has been in only once so far, the lead for now. Lap 32 Oh no. I've jinxed Massa who is delayed in the pit lane and allows Ricciardo to take third place. Hamilton's lead is up t0 2.4sec.

Lap 31 Massa looks comfortable in third, and beginning to close the gap on Rosberg in second. He's 4.8sec behind now. Lap 30 Hamilton draws out the lead to over 2sec now. Lap 29 Button pits at last and puts on his medium compound tyres. Hamilton and Rosberg are trading fastest lap times. Hamilton leads by 1.8sec. Lap 28 At the front Hamilton's lead is 1.4sec over Rosberg. Lap 27 Alonso passes Magnussen who decides he needs to pit, which forces a delay for Button who is sarcasm personified as he's told his team have to box him during another lap. Lap 26 The replay of Hamilton's overtaking move shows how he took advantage of a very small gap, forcing Rosberg on to the kerb. Button can't hold off Alonso any longer and is getting ready to go back in. Grosjean speeds past Vettel who is getting very angry on the radio about his performance.

Lap 25 Red Bull pitted Vettel twice behind the safety car thinking they could run him to the end on the second set of tyres but he is going to have to go back in as he has no grip remaining at all. Lap 24 Going into the hairpin Hamilton brakes very late ... and his nerve allows him to pass Rosberg to move into first place. He has been applying the pressure for the past four laps and Rosberg has cracked. Lap 23 Hamilton's nose is nudging ever closer and Rosberg just manages to hold him at bay. Lap 22 It's noticeable how much quicker Hamilton is now his medium tyres have warmed up. He has made up more than two seconds in four laps, cutting Rosberg's advantage to .54sec. Lap 21 Hamilton's speed on the first sector of the lap is making inroads into Rosberg's lead. This tyre suits him far more than Rosberg. Further back Button is holding off Alonso's battle to take seventh as well as his seat next season. Lap 20 Grosjean takes Gutierrez who left him so much room to move up into 12th and is followed through by Vergne.

Lap 19 Bottas's straight line speed in fifth is making Ricciardo defend manfully in fourth. Rosberg leads from Hamilton with Massa still third. Lap 18 Hulkenburg has ground to a stop on the back straight, making it a race to forget for Force India are now out. When Hamilton pitted Rosberg's advantage was 1.9sec, now it's up to 2.7sec. Lap 17 Lewis Hamilton pits and rejoins in second, 2.5sec behind Rosberg. Lap 15 Ricciardo takes Bottas on turn one as he exited the pits to move into fifth. Lap 14 In goes Ricciardo to pit as Hamilton has a problem with his front-left tyre which allows Rosberg to drag away to almost 2.5sec ahead. Those medium tyres are needed sooner rather than later. Lap 13 Hamilton is experiencing tyre problems too, and drops back to a second behind Rosberg. Lap 12 Rosberg announces that his front left tyre is "finished". Hamilton continues to close.

Lap 11 Fernando Alonso is told on the radio that his pace is fine given the traffic despite his concerns about grip. Hamilton closes in on Rosberg and cuts the deficit to 0.4sec. Lap 10 The leader preserves a second's gap to Hamilton. Lap 9 No further action for Button the stewards decide after the investigation into his speeding. Gutierrez, Vergne and Maldonado have 5sec stop-go penalties when they pit. Excellent lap from Rosberg doubles his lead to a whole second. Hamilton is 4sec ahead of Massa in third. Lap 8 Rosberg leads from Hamilton, Massa, Bottas Ricciardo, Alonso and Raikkonen. Hamilton is told he has enough fuel on the radio so not to worry about saving tactics. He's still only half a second behind. Lap 7 Gutierrez, Button and Maldonado are being investigated for speeding behind the safety car. This sport does make this confusing for the viewer at trimes. Hamilton now posts the fastest lap of the race to eat into Rosberg's lead, nibbling it down to .5sec.

Lap 6 Vettel moves up to 15th in what is now a 16-car race by overtaking Hulkenberg. Rosberg clocks up the fastest lap so far with hamilton out of the DRS zone to stretch his lead to 1.1sec. Lap 5 Ricciardo takes fifth place when Alonso locks up his rear wheels and is told by his engineers to get after the "Willies". Ooh er. Rosberg is .73sec ahead of Hamilton in second, Massa in third. Lap 4 And we're off again at last. Fifty-two laps to go. Lap 3 The safety car is still out there, and will stay until the end of lap four. &amp;lt;noframe&amp;gt;Twitter: Daniel Johnson - Terrible stuff from Perez. Hits Raikkonen and then takes out Sutil.&amp;lt;/noframe&amp;gt; Lap 2 As you were with the safety car still out while Sutil's Sauber is lifted off the track and the debris swept up. Both McLarens have pitted. Button, having driven over the bits of Sauber that were knocked off by Perez.

Lap 1 Excellent starts from Rosberg and Hamilton to fend off the charge from Williams. Ricciardo who had a poor start takes Magnussen. Out comes the safety car after a collision between Perez and Sutil who is out on the first lap here for the secodn year in succession. The replay shows it was Perez's fault. Raikkonen's Ferrari also suffered collateral damage, a big shunt up the rear. 20.03 Here they are back at the start and re-forming. 20.01 They're off on the parade lap with Rosberg stretching the gap to Hamilton who has been on the radio to say his RPM feels sluggish. Oh dear. Chris Reynolds has a solution that may lead us to oxygen starvation: Perhaps Bernie could put his hand deep into his own pocket to redress the balance his "mistake" has caused - no one hold their breath though..20.0. John McEnerney writes on Ecclestone's stance and the prospects for tonight: Greedy Bernie needs to think about the little "men" in the sport not just the little man he sees in the mirror.

A strike would be pointless unless the big teams show support which may sound strange but it would send a message to BE anyway his time will soon be up in the sport. As for the racing I think Nico is a bottler & the title is there for Hamilton. I'd say LH has the cooler head of the two & so much experience that he'll just close the championship out without too much drama. 19.56 Ted Kravitz thinks it has to be a two-stop rather than a three-stop strategy, first one between laps 12-16, the second between laps 33-35. Jenson Button certainly mentioned 2-3 stops so we will see. Speaking of whom, are we enetering the last three races of Jenson's F1 career? 19.50 Bernie Ecclestone is answering questions about whether he will do anything to help Lotus, Force India and Sauber. He says it's up to the bigger teams, it's in their interests and he's sure something will be sorted but he hasn't promised anything to anyone.

&amp;lt;noframe&amp;gt;Twitter: Daniel Johnson - Good point by &amp;lt;a href="" target="_blank"&amp;gt;@TelegraphSport&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;'s &amp;lt;a href="" target="_blank"&amp;gt;@therealdcf1&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;: "Nico still needs to prove he can beat Lewis in wheel-to-wheel battle. Has a real chance here"&amp;lt;/noframe&amp;gt; 19.46 One of the great national anthems is being given the X-Factor emoting treatment. It's treason, I tells you. 19.44 Gordon Ramsay is on the grid. So is Pamela Anderson. "I love the noise and the people, just so exciting," says the latter. "Fast cars, fast women." Good lord. Frankie Howerd would be leaning back at that and pulling a very outraged face. And rightly so. 19.39 Jenson Button says being demoted five places to 12th for changing his gearbox too frequently is a "bit of a pain" but had it happened to someone else he "would be loving it".

Not much of a gridwalk today because, as in Sochi, the drivers have to go to the front for the national anthems. 19.34 Lewis Hamilton is taken around the circuit in an AC Cobra. he says he has one of his own. Nico Rosberg was envious of his ride. 19.28 Vijay Mallaya of Force India, the most mutinous of the potential boycotters, said on Saturday, reminding everyone how vital having a mix of large manufacturer teams and independents is, to stop the sport being marooned if boardrooms of multinationals decide to leave the sport if the investment to reward ratio alters: "When no small teams are left and you have only four big teams and three of them are getting beat, what happens then?" Today he is optimistic a deal can be donee with Bernie Ecclestone and CVC Partners. 19.20 I wonder what American fans, who like the throaty roar of a lion gargling razor blades, will make of the sound of the (to them) new V6 engines? &amp;lt;noframe&amp;gt;Twitter: Daniel Johnson - If it was ever on, the boycott is off.

Confirmed 90 minutes before the race in hope of a proposal from Ecclestone in coming days&amp;lt;/noframe&amp;gt; 19.05 To whet your appetites let's go back to 2012 and the inaugural race here, one of the most exciting in many a year. Here is Tom Cary's race report and the winning manoeuvre: Even Gordon Ramsey, watching on from the pits at the £250 million Circuit of the Americas, would have struggled to cook up a better recipe for the race. They love a star over here and Hamilton is certainly that. If anyone is going to help Formula One crack this elusive market it is a mixed race 27 year-old, balls-out driver with a Pussycat Doll girlfriend, a chalet in Colorado, and a million-dollar smile. Hamilton’s victory not only proved hugely popular here in Texas, it would also have delighted F1’s paymasters. His relegation of Vettel into second place with Fernando Alonso third, ensured that the duel for the drivers’ title goes on to the final race of the season in Brazil this weekend.

The Spaniard lies just 13 points behind Vettel heading to the infamously inclement Interlagos. Anything could happen there and usually does. No wonder Vettel sounded so down on the team radio after the race. Red Bull did wrap up their third straight constructors’ crown in the Lone Star state, an impressive achievement for a team just eight years old, but it was hard to ignore the sense of disappointment in the German’s voice as he crossed the line. How he would have loved to have wrapped up the title here rather than risk Sao Paulo’s caprices. Vettel will also have in the back of his mind the fact that his team-mate Mark Webber retired from yesterday’s race with an alternator failure, a misfortune which has twice befallen Vettel already this year. The day had begun with a classic bit of 11th hour F1 chicanery. Ferrari’s decision to break the seal on Felipe Massa’s gearbox, thereby inducing a five-place grid penalty which lifted his team-mate Alonso up to seventh and on to the clean side of the grid, a huge advantage at a brand new circuit which has not yet been “rubbered in”, split the paddock roughly down the middle.

Ferrari, a team with a clear history of favouring their lead driver, certainly were not losing any sleep over it, although Massa might. Already derided by some in Brazil for being Alonso’s patsy, Massa looked understandably gloomy when asked for his thoughts on the grid pre-race. His compatriot Rubens Barrichello, now retired from F1, must have felt a pang of sympathy. Barrichello once played the same role for Michael Schumacher, becoming so frustrated in the end that he had to leave Maranello. Massa, by contrast, has just signed up for another season, a decision which raised some eyebrows in the sport considering his form. As he said himself: It’s difficult to find a driver like me,” he said. Either way, Ferrari’s ruse worked perfectly. After a star-spangled pre-race featuring a full-on marching band and Hollywood stars ranging from Matt LeBlanc to George Lucas, Alonso got off to a flier and was up to fourth spot within a couple of corners. His day got even better when Webber retired from third place on lap 18, just moments after being informed that his KERS unit was misfiring.

It was the Australian’s first retirement with mechanical failure in 59 races, a run stretching back to Japan 2009, and must have had Vettel’s side of the garage sweating. The German has already retired twice this year with alternator failures. Instead it was Hamilton who posed the greatest threat to Vettel; the pair engaging in a thrilling race-long game of cat and mouse. Every time Hamilton closed to within a second or so of Vettel, threatening to get into the one-second DRS range, the German would respond. From lap 35 onwards, Hamilton was within range and with a sell-out crowd of 120,000 lapping up the drama, stuck limpet-like to the back of the Red Bull for lap after lap. Even the Westboro Baptist Church, who picketed this grand prix in protest at the “wicked people of this land of vain idolaters”, might have been persuaded to put down their banners declaring “God hates drunks, sluts and F1 fags” and lap up the action. Hamilton’s persistence was finally rewarded on lap 42 when he managed to pass Vettel down the back straight using DRS.

Thereafter their roles were reversed with Vettel the hunter and Hamilton the hunted, fending off the German for lap after lap. Crucially, Vettel was never quite able to get within DRS range. Hamilton hosted a party on the roof of the Hilton in downtown Austin following qualifying on Saturday night. Ron Dennis, the man who signed Hamilton for McLaren as a 13 year-old, guiding him all the way to the world title in 2008, was a notable absentee but the rest of the team, both sides of the garage, turned up to bid their driver farewell. It has been a tempestuous relationship down the years but there has never been any doubt about Hamilton’s talent. He achieved his American dream in some style here and reminded McLaren of what they will be missing next year. America will surely welcome him back with open arms. 19.00 My goodness, doesn't Austin seem a grand place to live? If it was good enough for Plonk, it's good enough for the rest of us. 18.45 Sebastian Vettel starts at the back of the grid as a penalty for exceeding his seasonal allocation of power units.

At the moment he was photographed an hour ago he seems to have found solace in millinery. 18.35 Just a quick re-cap of the drivers' standings going into Sunday night's race: 1 Lewis Hamilton 291 points 2 Nico Rosberg 274 Standings - Drivers' World Championship - Formula 1 - BBC Sport 0 0 Points are awarded as follows: 1st place - 25 points; 2nd -18; 3rd - 15; 4th -12; 5th - 10; 6th - 8; 7th - 6; 8th - 4; 9th - 2; 10th - 1. If drivers are tied on points, positions are decided on results countback. Wins are compared, and the driver with most wins is classified ahead. If wins are equal, second places are looked at, and so on.

Spanish Grand Prix: F1 – as it happened | Sport | The Guardian Formula One Spanish Grand Prix: F1 – as it happened Nico Rosberg fought back in the Formula 1 driver’s championship with victory from pole in Barcelona, as Lewis Hamilton recovered from a poor start to finish second, with Sebastian Vettel third Updated Formula One: Nico Rosberg drives at the Circuit de Catalunya. Tom Gandolfini/AFP/Getty Images Photograph: Tom Gandolfini/AFP/Getty Images Sunday 10 May 2015 09.58 EDT First published on Saturday 9 May 2015 19.00 EDT 09:58 So hats off to Nico Rosberg, who drove a superb race under plenty of pressure. Had he not won today, his title chances would have been distant at best. As it is, his win from pole, Hamilton’s fightback to claim second and Sebastien Vettel coming home 25 seconds behind either of them tells us something – Rosberg is still a contender, and probably the only real threat to Hamilton’s title defence.

The Briton leads the driver’s championship by 20 points on 111, with Rosberg on 91 and Vettel on 80. Next up, in two weeks’ time? It’s only the Monaco Grand Prix. Thanks for joining me. Bye! 1 Nico Rosberg (Ger) Mercedes 2 Lewis Hamilton (GB) Mercedes 3 Sebastian Vettel (Ger) Ferrari 4 Valtteri Bottas (Fin) Williams 5 Kimi Raikkonen (Fin) Ferrari 6 Felipe Massa (Bra) Williams 7 Daniel Ricciardo (Aus) Red Bull 8 Romain Grosjean (Fra) Lotus 9 Carlos Sainz (Spa) Toro Rosso* 10 Daniil Kvyat (Rus) Red Bull* The stewards are looking into that Sainz/Kvyat incident on the final lap. It seems likely they will change places, with Sainz running across a corner in order to hold his position. 09:46 NICO ROSBERG WINS THE SPANISH GRAND PRIX! Rosberg has finished every race where he started it, and today is no different.

He leads from the front to get his first win of the season, ahead of Lewis Hamilton, with Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel in third. 09:45 Lap 65: Bottas clips a corner as he enters what must feel like the hundredth lap with Raikkonen right behind him. He’s still fourth – and behind those two, there’s contact between Sainz and Kvyat! Sainz holds position after running wide, and both are able to continue. 09:43 Lap 64: Two laps until the sweet, sweet sight of the chequered flag for Rosberg. He leads Hamilton by 12 seconds or so. Sebastian Vettel, who looked primed to go after the win after a strong start, is now 40 seconds behind the race leader. 09:41 Lap 63: Looks like Carlos Sainz will win the Toro Rosso battle – on fresher tyres, the Spaniard leaves Verstappen for dust on that long opening straight. Raikkonen is still battling behind Bottas, but the Ice Man is getting a taste of his own medicine – Bottas has been faultless in keeping him at bay.

09:38 Lap 61: Raikkonen may have missed his chance, with his tyres suffering a touch, but he continues to go after Bottas. At the front of the field, Rosberg leads Hamilton by 13 seconds – the German is going to get his first win of the season, barring a disaster. 09:36 Lap 60: Raikkonen is held by Bottas at the start of the sixtieth lap. Six laps to go, and that’s the only real excitement in the top ten, which looks like this: Rosberg, Vettel, Hamilton, Bottas, Raikkonen, Massa, Ricciardo, Grosjean, Kvyat, Verstappen. 09:33 Lap 58: Hamilton shaves another second off Rosberg’s lead – it’s now 15 seconds, but he’s running out of laps. Raikkonen is closing in on Bottas, waiting for a moment to use DRS – third and fourth for Ferrari wouldn’t have been the dream scenario, but it would be something.

09:32 Lap 57: Interesting chat between Hamilton and his team there – Mercedes tell him it’s best to consolidate second place, but Hamilton wants to know if it’s possible to catch Rosberg. You sense he and the team might have different views on that – but he’s told the gap’s too big. Bottas and Raikkonen still duking it out manfully for that fourth spot. 09:29 Lap 56: Both Vettel and Raikkonen are getting hot and bothered, with the latter using some choice words over the radio. They’re both unhappy with the Marussias at the back of the field, with Vettel barking “blue flag” repeatedly. Hamilton, who has dealt with the traffic expertly, continues to hare hopefully after the distant Rosberg. 09:27 Lap 54: Hamilton sets a new fastest lap, and is on fresh medium tyres. He’s 19 seconds behind – how close can he get to Rosberg? Incidentally, everyone outside the top six has been lapped – that’s created the traffic which Vettel was whinging about.

09:25 Lap 52: Vettel has a grump on, complaining over the team radio that traffic has held him up repeatedly. We’ve all been there. There’s some hot Finn on Finn action between Bottas and Raikkonen, both chasing fourth place – otherwise, it’s all calm among the leading pack. 09:23 Lap 51: Third stop imminent for Hamilton – and here he comes now, with a straightforward stop, and he exits the pit way, way ahead of Vettel. It looks like another Mercedes one-two – and Vettel will be mighty frustrated, given the start he made. 09:21 Lap 50: The half-century is up, and the top ten is as follows: Hamilton, Rosberg, Vettel, Bottas, Raikkonen, Massa, Ricciardo, Grosjean, Kvyat, Verstappen. Hamilton is still due an extra stop, and his focus is on staying ahead of Vettel, rather than challenging Rosberg. Lap 47: Pastor Maldonado’s race is over – he’s told to retire, in all likelihood because a bit of his car has been missing for several laps.

At least this website won’t need updating today. Someone in the Lotus team had a worse day though. Updated 09:15 Lap 46: Rosberg pits, and comes out a couple of seconds behind Hamilton – but the British driver needs another stop, so it remains advantage Rosberg. In fact, the team radio tell Rosberg that Hamilton’s aim is beating Vettel into second. He’ll like that. 09:13 Lap 44: Fresh from scaring the life out of his pit team, Grosjean is back out, and overtakes Kvyat to move up to ninth. Rosberg still out in front, but he’ll be making his second stop shortly, and that will bring him closer to Hamilton. Updated Lap 42: Grosjean goes in to pit, and has a similar, though less dramatic, problem to Alonso – nobody is badly hurt, but one of the Lotus crew is pictured applying ice to a sensitive area. We wish him well. Updated 09:05 Lap 40: Hamilton is motoring now, and glides past Bottas into the first corner to reclaim his place in the top three – and his pace means Vettel won’t be far away.

The top ten: Rosberg, Vettel, Hamilton, Bottas,Raikkonen, Massa, Ricciardo, Grosjean, Sainz, Verstappen. 09:02 Lap 38: Rosberg had only led for ten laps in all of 2015 – he’s added 37 so far, and continues to race into the distance – now leading by 12 seconds. Hamilton is closing on Bottas, as the Williams man’s tyres start to suffer. 09:00 Lap 36: Only Raikkonen, of the current top six, is angling for a two-stop race – which means Vettel and Bottas will need to come in twice more. That fastest lap from Hamilton – 1:29.910, no less – has heads a-scratching in the Ferrari paddock though. 08:58 Lap 35: A fastest lap for Hamilton, as Plan B works to perfection. He’s now within a pit stop of Vettel, who has only stopped once. Button is told Alonso’s retirement doesn’t affect his car – a message that would make me, for one, think that it probably does.

08:49 Lap 30: The top ten after thirty laps: Rosberg, Vettel, Hamilton, Bottas, Raikkonen, Massa, Ricciardo, Grosjean, Kvyat, Verstappen. With Rosberg moving much faster than Vettel, and now opening an eight-second lead, the key battle remains between Vettel and Hamilton, separated by 1.4 seconds. The Toro Rosso drivers, who haven’t been able to hold their starting position, are in an almighty scrap for tenth. Updated 08:48 Lap 29: Rosberg is seven seconds up on Vettel now, with his team plotting to get him home without so much as seeing the German in his mirror. Button has pitted again after reporting problems; that lick of paint doesn’t seem to have fixed McLaren’s many, many problems. 08:47 Lap 28: Drama in the pit lane! Fernando Alonso, who had been struggling to fend off Ericsson way down the field, doesn’t stop in time, scooting through his scattering team. It’s brake failure, and Alonso has to retire. Desperate shame, but at least nobody in the pit lane was hurt.

08:44 Lap 26: Button and Maldonado have had their problems today, and they find themselves way down the field. Button, on his hundredth start for McLaren, is having problems with his throttle that he describes as ‘not normal’. Maldonado, meanwhile, is missing a chunk of his car: Updated 08:43 Lap 24: We’re around halfway between most drivers’ first and second stops, and there’s a serene quality to these middle laps, with no real movement in the field. Rosberg, six seconds clear of Vettel, is starting to slow down a touch, but Hamilton isn’t moving any faster. 08:41 Lap 22: Daniil Kvyat shows Max Verstappen who’s boss, the Red Bull ducking in front of the Toro Rosso, who moves across late, and almost collides with Kvyat. Close call, there. Kimi Raikkonen, on the harder tyres along with Verstappen and Sainz, is matching his team-mate’s pace, and is a definite danger to the top four above him.

08:38 Lap 21: Smart stuff from Vettel, who goes onto the defensive into the straights, knowing Hamilton’s overtaking chances are limited anywhere else on the track. Meanwhile, Romain Grosjean is getting an earful off his team radio. He’s having gearbox problems, and has to lift off the throttle, or ‘you will blow the car up’. I think that’s clear enough. 08:35 Lap 20: Hamilton is again breathing down Vettel’s neck, and he has a glimmer of a chance to overtake on the opening straight, but Vettel held him off. With DRS, not to mention a better car, it seems a matter of time at the moment. Updated 08:32 Lap 18: Terse words exchanged between Hamilton and the Mercedes team. They tell him to up the pace and reel Vettel back in, he responds with a curt reminder that it’s not possible. Then tells them to stop talking to him during corners. Spiky. Here’s the current top ten: Rosberg, Vettel, Hamilton, Bottas, Raikkonen, Massa, Alonso, Ericsson, Perez, Ricciardo.

08:30 Lap 16: Vettel’s pit stop is 2.3 seconds – seriously, that’s textbook. Race leader Rosberg also makes a stop, making stopless Kimi Raikkonen the provisional leader. Pastor Maldonado is having problems with the back of his car, and a pit stop doesn’t seem to have fixed it... 08:25 Lap 14: Hamilton is in, but it’s a shoddy pit stop, and Hamilton is pipped out of the pits by Maldonado! He’s down to seventh now, although not for especially long – five corners in fact, before he manoeuvres around the Venezuelan. Updated 08:23 Lap 13: Not content with Plan B, Williams have told Bottas to go to Plan C. We’re not sure what that is – it might just be Plan A again, which is a two-stop strategy. Hamilton, meanwhile, is closing in on Vettel, although Mercedes are also keeping an eye on the gap to Maldonado, to try and sneak in a pit without losing the leading pack. 08:21 Lap 12: We’ve got a pitter!

Nico Hulkenberg, who hasn’t had a lot of fun out there so far, is into the pits. Don’t be too surprised to see some of the big hitters do likewise in the coming laps, including Hamilton, who continues to hare gamely after Vettel. 08:19 Lap 10: Hamilton is lapping faster than Vettel, and is around 1.2 seconds behind the German, but both are losing time on Rosberg, who has clear track ahead of him. A battle is developing behind the aforementioned front seven, with Verstappen, Ricciardo and Romain Grosjean separated by a couple of seconds. Interesting battle between the Red Bulls and their theoretical back-ups, Toro Rosso, today. 08:17 Lap 9: Plan B for Hamilton to get at Vettel is to take three stops; that’s going to be the champion’s immediate focus, so Rosberg will be feeling mighty fine way out in front. He has a six second lead over Vettel now. More strong moves from Maldonado, who zips by Verstappen to join the top seven.

08:15 Lap 8: Hamilton tells the team radio it’s ‘impossible’ to catch Vettel, and he’s been consistently slower than race leader Rosberg. There’s worse news for poor Jenson Button, who is having serious problems with understeer. Maybe he should have stuck with the old-timey car. 08:09 Lap 4: Rosberg sets the fastest lap on his third circuit, while Kimi Raikkonen has got off to a flyer, getting the better of the two Toro Rossos to move up to fifth. Less good news for Jenson Button, who finds himself 18th after a sluggish start. Updated 08:08 Lap 2: At the risk of stating the obvious, that wasn’t what Lewis Hamilton needed. He would have hoped to have edged Rosberg out; now he’s stuck behind Sebastian Vettel. Hamilton was complaining of understeer in his practice lap, which may have a lot to do with it. 08:06 Go, go, go They’re off!

Everyone gets around a hellish first couple of corners after that straight, but Lewis Hamilton is off the pace – not only does Rosberg hold him off, but Vettel overtakes him! Valtteri Bottas is inches from doing the same, but Hamilton just holds his line into the first corner. So it’s Rosberg first, Vettel second, Hamilton third. Nico Rosberg leads at the start. Photograph: Gustau Nacarino/Reuters Updated 07:54 Ten minutes until race time. Some awkward chat going on at the starting line at the moment. Jenson Button says “I can’t be disappointed yet”. Damon Hill reckons it’s more nerve-wracking watching on than being in a car. I find that hard to believe, but he would know. Now, the start isn’t ever exactly an irrelevance in F1, but it’s of the utmost importance today. It’s a long, straight drag to the first corner from the starting line – and with overtaking opportunities limited, whoever gets there first will be a big favourite. My money’s on Rosberg... or Hamilton. The opening straight is similar to this, though not identical.

07:49 The grid A reminder that Rosberg starts on pole, alongside Lewis Hamilton on the front row, and with an intriguing top six of Vettel, Bottas, Sainz and Verstappen.

1 Nico Rosberg (Ger) Mercedes 2 Lewis Hamilton (GB) Mercedes 3 Sebastian Vettel (Ger) Ferrari 4 Valtteri Bottas (Fin) Williams 5 Carlos Sainz (Spa) Toro Rosso 6 Max Verstappen (Ned) Toro Rosso 7 Kimi Raikkonen (Fin) Ferrari 8 Daniil Kvyat (Rus) Red Bull 9 Felipe Massa (Bra) Williams 10 Daniel Ricciardo (Aus) Red Bull 11 Romain Grosjean (Fra) Lotus 12 Pastor Maldonado (Ven) Lotus 13 Fernando Alonso (Sp) McLaren 14 Jenson Button (GB) McLaren 15 Felipe Nasr (Bra) Sauber 16 Marcus Ericsson (Swe) Sauber 17 Nico Hülkenberg (Ger) Force India 18 Sergio Pérez (Mex)Force India 19 Will Stevens (GB) Manor 20 Roberto Merhi (Sp) Manor 1:32.038 07:46 Photograph: David Davies/PA Here’s Jenson Button in the new, souped-up McLaren an old-time

y car for the driver’s parade, which took place earlier on.

A good effort, but nobody could compete with the retro wheels of Valtteri Bottas, who starts fourth on the grid. Although not in this specific vehicle. Photograph: Sutton Images/Corbis 18:58 Preamble Common sense dictates that if you simply must swing at the king, you had better not miss. A combination of last season’s narrow title win and a blistering start to the season have put Lewis Hamilton firmly on the throne – but either side of his coronation, team-mate Nico Rosberg has thrown his fair share of duff punches. After the shunt in Spa that turned the title race (and perhaps his team) against him, Nico came out swinging again in China – by complaining that Hamilton wasn’t hitting him hard enough . Rosberg has fallen from title contender to the man drawing embarrassed glances in the paddock – so this weekend, the German has wisely let his driving do the talking. He starts on pole today after pipping Hamilton in qualifying – the first time he has done so in 2015, after 11 poles last season.

It seems Rosberg is lining up another left hook – but with Hamilton nearly 30 points clear, and with less of a psychological edge over the German than a cliff-face, the old adage applies. If Hamilton can beat Rosberg today, the driver who appears allergic to canvas may finally be out for the count. There’s more – the improving Sebastian Vettel is lurking in third, Spain’s Carlos Sainz and young buck Max Verstappen start in the top six, and Fernando Alonso comes home with a snazzy new car, and not much else – he starts 13th today in his new McLaren. The race gets underway at 1pm sharp. Updated

Question: How many points are given to a driver for winning a Formula One Grand Prix?
Answer: 25