Guide
What a driver needs for an F1 super licence
An F1 super licence is earned, not bought. A driver needs 40 eligibility points from junior championships, plus age, experience and test requirements.
Two different kinds of points
The super licence has two separate points systems, and they are easy to mix up.
- Eligibility points are earned for finishing positions in junior and other championships. A driver needs 40 of them to get a super licence in the first place.
- Penalty points are added for bad driving once a driver is racing. Twelve means a ban. See how F1 penalty points work.
This guide is about eligibility points.
The 40-point target
A driver normally needs at least 40 eligibility points, earned over a three-season window: the current season and the two before it. The FIA compares possible windows and uses the one that works best for the driver. Reaching 40 does not guarantee a seat. It only makes the driver eligible to race.
Points by championship
Points depend on the championship and the final position. These are the main values for the top ten:
| Championship | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | 6th | 7th | 8th | 9th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Formula 2 | 40 | 40 | 40 | 30 | 20 | 10 | 8 | 6 | 4 | 3 |
| IndyCar | 40 | 30 | 25 | 20 | 15 | 10 | 8 | 6 | 3 | 1 |
| Formula 3 | 30 | 25 | 20 | 15 | 12 | 9 | 7 | 5 | 3 | 2 |
| Super Formula | 30 | 25 | 20 | 15 | 12 | 9 | 7 | 5 | 3 | 2 |
| Formula Regional Europe | 25 | 20 | 15 | 10 | 7 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| F1 Academy | 10 | 7 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
A top-three finish in F2 is worth the full 40 on its own, which is why F2 is the usual last step before F1. Awards are cut if a championship starts with a small field.
Practice running counts too
Drivers who run in F1 practice sessions on a free practice licence can earn one point per event for completing at least 100 km in a session, up to a maximum of 10 points towards an application. Teams often use this to top up a junior driver who is just short.
The other requirements
Points are the headline, but a first super licence also needs:
- Age: normally 18 at the start of the driver's first F1 event. The FIA can make an exception at 17.
- Experience: at least two seasons of single-seater racing.
- F1 mileage: a set distance in a representative F1 car within a recent period, usually done in testing.
- Knowledge: passing a test on the F1 sporting regulations.
The full rules are in Appendix L of the FIA International Sporting Code. Check it for anything that matters, because details change between seasons.