Rules & penalties · Updated for 2026
How Formula 1 race classification works
Why a retired car can still be classified and how laps completed determine the order.
Quick answer
Cars are ordered by laps completed and then the time at which they crossed the relevant control line. A driver who completes at least 90% of the winner's distance can be classified even without taking the chequered flag.
01
Laps first
A car one lap behind cannot rank ahead of a car that completed the winner's lap count merely because it crossed the line soon afterward.
02
The 90% rule
A late retirement may still appear as classified if it completed the required proportion of the winner's distance, rounded according to the regulations.
03
Provisional and final
The chequered-flag order is provisional until scrutineering, stewarding and any review process are complete.