There are a lot of Formula 1 rules. Too many, in fact. The idea that you can just let 20 cars take to the track and let them race each other is ridiculous. From car design and weight, to driver behaviour, spending caps and safety procedures, the F1 rulebook is vast.
Betting on F1 doesn’t require an extensive knowledge of the rules. However, it’s important to understand the basics in order to make smart bets.
Below, we’ll take you through the Formula 1 rules you need to know before wading through the F1 odds. We’ll explain how these rules relate to bets and what you can do to gain an edge.
Basic F1 Rules
We’re going to boil down the F1 rules into three sections here:
- Scoring
- Equipment
- In-race rules
F1 Scoring
There are 10 teams in F1, with two drivers for each team. That makes 20 cars per race, obviously.
The drivers go through a race weekend that includes three practice sessions, a Saturday qualifying session, and a Sunday grand prix. Some weekends also feature a mini race on Saturdays, called a sprint race.
Drivers earn points for their final position (classification) in a race. The points are as follows:
- 25 for a win
- 18 for second
- 15 for third
- 12 for fourth
- 10 for fifth
- 8 for sixth
- 6 for seventh
- 4 for eighth
- 2 for ninth
- 1 for tenth
A point is also awarded to the driver who nails the fastest lap.
Whoever has the most points at the end of the season is the world champion. Whichever team collects the most points from their two drivers over the season becomes the constructors’ champion.
Formula One has hundreds of rules
Equipment
F1 drivers race in open-wheel cars that must follow strict specifications. The idea is to create a level playing field across all teams, but inevitably those with the bigger budgets create faster, nimbler cars.
The reason a driver finishes last in every race isn’t because they’re terrible. It’s often because their engine, aerodynamics and brakes aren’t as good as the other teams’ cars.
Cars must weigh a minimum 796kg and the size of the rear-view mirror must be 150×50 mm. A car needs to finish with a litre of fuel so it can be tested. The FIA’s rulebook around car equipment is a mind-numbing 177 pages long.
Drivers must wear helmets and full racing gear, while they are also protected by a ‘halo’ ring that is placed above their heads in the car. This prevents the head being exposed if the car rolls, or if debris flies around.
There are six types of slick tyres used in normal racing conditions: C0, C1, C2, C3, C4 and C5. Intermediate and wet tyres are also available if there is bad weather. Tyres degrade, which means drivers will make at least one pit stop in a race to flip onto another tyre. Often a team will start on harder tyres before opting for softer tyres – which offer more grip but less durability – towards the end.
F1 race rules
Right, buckle up. There are a lot of race rules in F1. Drivers cannot drive dangerously or endanger others, which means overtaking is difficult. If you purposefully clip another car then you can be disqualified. Drivers must stick to what’s called ‘racing lines’ and not deviate at the last second. This is to prevent crashes and injuries.
So, how do you overtake? The easiest way is through the Drag Reduction System (DRS). This is a bonus that came in a decade ago, where drivers trailing a car within one second can open their rear wing and let more air through the car. They accelerate thanks to the reduced drag and overtake the car in front.
The use of DRS is by far the best innovation to F1 for years.
What about the flags? Yes, there are a lot of flags in F1:
- Yellow Flag: No overtaking. Drivers should be aware of an incident ahead.
- Green Flag: The track is now free. Racing resumes.
- Red Flag: Conditions are so unsafe that cars must pit and wait further instructions.
- Blue Flag: A fast driver is approaching. This is often waved during practice and qualifying sessions when some drivers are taking it slow.
- Black and White Flag: A driver is being unsportsmanlike and is effectively given a warning.
- Black Flag: A driver is disqualified from the race.
- Black Flag with Orange: The team has spotted a mechanical fault with the car and the driver must pit.
- Chequered Flag: This is waved as the winning driver crosses the line and indicates the end of the race. It’s also used to show the end of sessions like Free Practice and Qualifying.
Pit stops are another big part of the F1 rules. Gone are the days when teams refuelled during stops – that’s far too dangerous. Now, teams carry enough fuel to last them a race but at least one pit stop is mandatory, because each car must use two different tyre compounds in a race.
How Formula One Rules Affect Betting
Now you know the basic F1 rules, it’s time to focus on betting. How can these rules affect your bets? Here’s what you need to know…
Undercutting and overcutting
F1 cars must use at least two different sets of tyres, meaning they have to pit in a race. Get your tactics right and you can undercut or overcut your rivals. An undercut involves pitting earlier than others to get fresh tyres and driving faster. When your rivals pit, they come out behind you.
Overcutting is the opposite, where you wait to pit a few laps after your rivals. The logic is that your rivals’ tyres won’t be up to speed yet, so you pit and come out in front. Understanding over- and undercutting means you can place live bets on drivers to finish ahead of others, or in the podium spots, and bank on a team using this strategy.
Yellow flag lottery
Yellow flags are common in F1 when cars crash. The race still continues but no-one can overtake until the safety car moves on. It means everyone bunches up, and the 30-second lead earned by the front car reduces to nothing.
Safety cars upend the F1 odds more than anything else precisely because they bunch the pack. So, if you’re betting on an outsider to win a race then you’ll need a few helpful yellow flags.
Two teams per driver
Teams will never explicitly give orders for one of their drivers to help the other out. But it happens. Michael Schumacher always had a helpful Ferrari teammate who acted as the secondary driver. The reason Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg fell out at Mercedes was because neither wanted to be No 2.
Teams having two cars apiece impacts the F1 betting markets because the drivers can work together against other cars. For example, if the two Ferraris are in first and second place, the second car could slow down and hold up a chasing McLaren, giving the frontrunner time to open a large gap.
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