The other significant change between points structures is the changing of the value of a race win relative to second place:

In recent years the points structure has changed to award points to more than the traditional top six finishers—first switching to a top eight structure, and now to a top ten structure. This helps to create some points separation between mid-pack and backmarker teams.

In its 60-year history, Formula One has seen six different points structures, and for many years the championship also discarded several of a driver's lowest results, presumably to mitigate the damage of getting a couple of DNFs during the season. Here is the list of F1 points scoring systems .

From 1991 to 2002 the value of a win was at its greatest, when the 2nd place finisher received only 60% of the points awarded to the winner. This encouraged drivers to fight for the win, because a driver with several wins and a few DNFs could score higher than a driver who always finished strong but never won a race.

From 2003 to 2009 the value of a win was at its lowest, when the 2nd place finisher received 80% of the points awarded to the winner. This encouraged less risky driving because a steady record of high points finishes was better than risking a DNF by driving aggressively for the win.

Starting in 2010, the value of a win was increased again, with the 2nd place finisher getting 72% of the points of the winner.

The links at the top of the page allow you to compare the current season's point structure to the 2003-2009 era (when the value of a win was at its lowest) and the 1991-2002 era (when the value of a win was at its highest). Note that the 'P' column always shows the current season ranking, so you can easily see where the order gets flipped around under a previous points structure.

Starting in 2019, a bonus point is awarded for the fast lap of the race, but only if the person with the fast lap finishes in the top 10, otherwise no bonus point is awarded. A bonus point for fast lap was previously used from 1950 to 1959.