Predict the RaceF1 prediction scoring systems
Most F1 prediction leagues score every driver in your top 10, with more points the closer he finishes to where you put him. Predict the Race gives 5 points for the exact spot, 3 for one place off and 1 for two places off. Scoring exact hits only sounds strict but fair; in practice almost nobody scores and luck decides the table.
What scoring systems are there?
Four common ones. What sets them apart is whether nearly right still scores.
- Exact position only. You score when a driver finishes exactly where you put him. Easy to explain, but a top 10 that is one place off everywhere scores nothing. A few races in, everyone is close to zero and one lucky guess decides the league.
- Points by distance. 5 points for the exact spot, 3 for one place off, 1 for two places off, nothing beyond that. This is how Predict the Race scores. If you read the field well, you score even when the order shuffles a little. The catch is the maths: by hand, that is ten drivers per session for every player.
- Real F1 points. For each driver in the right spot you get the points he gets in the championship: 25, 18, 15, 12, 10, 8, 6, 4, 2, 1. It feels like the real thing, but a correct P10 is worth 1 point and the winner 25. Miss the winner and you are miles behind, and the bottom half of your top 10 barely matters.
- Winner and podium only. Quick to fill in, but most people pick the same favourite. Everyone ends up with roughly the same score and there is little to play for.
Extra questions such as pole position or fastest lap come on top, each worth a fixed number of points when you get it right.
How do you score a top 10?
For each driver, count how many places he finished from your prediction and look up the points. Below is a made-up race, scored by the same code that scores the app.
| Driver | Your pick | Result | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| Verstappen | P1 | P2 | 3 |
| Norris | P2 | P1 | 3 |
| Leclerc | P3 | P3 | 5 |
| Piastri | P4 | P5 | 3 |
| Hamilton | P5 | P6 | 3 |
| Russell | P6 | P4 | 1 |
| Antonelli | P7 | P8 | 3 |
| Alonso | P8 | P7 | 3 |
| Sainz | P9 | DNF | 0 |
| Albon | P10 | P11 | 3 |
| Total | 27 | ||
27 out of 50 points. Counting exact hits only, it would have been 5, even though 8 of the 10 drivers finished within one place of the prediction.
Look at Albon: predicted P10, finished eleventh. That is one place off, so 3 points, even though he ended up outside the top 10. Sainz retired and has no classified position, so he scores zero.
Why should nearly right count?
Because an F1 result always has some luck in it. One slow pit stop and your P4 becomes P5.
If only exact hits count, the luckiest player wins. If distance counts, the player who reads the field best wins, and that is what a prediction league should reward.
It also keeps the league alive. A bad weekend still earns you something, and the leader stays within reach.
What else can you score?
Besides the two top 10s there are extra questions every weekend and 4 season questions, each worth a fixed number of points for a correct answer.
| Extra questions each weekend | Points |
|---|---|
| Race winner | 25 |
| Pole position | 10 |
| Fastest lap | 10 |
| Fastest pit stop | 10 |
| Teammate battles | 15 |
| Number of safety cars | 12 |
| Red flag, yes or no | 20 |
| Sprint top 10 (sprint weekends) | 25 |
| Season questions, once a year | Points |
|---|---|
| World champion | 50 |
| Constructors' champion | 40 |
| Number of different race winners | 30 |
| Which team finishes fourth | 30 |
How much a weekend is worth depends on the level the league admin picks: 100 points on Simple, 145 on Classic and 202 on Advanced. On sprint weekends the sprint comes on top, and the season questions are settled at the end of the season.
What happens when two players are level on points?
They share the position. Two players on the same points are both second, and the next player is fourth: 1, 2, 2, 4.
The weekend winner works the same way. If two players share the top score, they both win that weekend.
What does a joker do to your points?
A joker doubles everything you score that weekend: both top 10s, the sprint and the extra questions. Season questions are never doubled.
With jokers switched on, everyone gets 5 per season by default. You play a joker before the weekend starts.
Frequently asked questions
Can I change the points per question?
No. The points per question are fixed, so a score means the same thing in every league. As the league admin you choose which questions count and whether jokers are on.
Does a driver outside the top 10 still count?
Yes. You predict a top 10, but the whole result counts. Put someone in P10, he finishes eleventh, and you get 3 points.
What do you get for a driver who retires?
Nothing, if he has no classified position. That is bad luck, but it is the same bad luck for everyone who had him in their top 10.
When do the points show up?
After every qualifying session and race, as soon as the official result is in. If a penalty changes the result shortly after the race, the app scores it again.
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