How long are F1 races ?

The 2024 FIA sporting regulations set the race duration by distance and time. There are exceptions for cases like Monaco and safety car deployments. Here's a breakdown:

General Race Distance

• The race must exceed 305 km, to be completed in the least number of full laps.
• Example: If a track requires 70 laps to surpass 305 km, the race will be 70 laps long.

Exceptions:

• Monaco : The Monaco Grand Prix distance is the least number of full laps exceeding 260 km.
• Safety Car Start : Safety car-led formation laps shorten races. The total laps decrease by one less than the safety car laps completed. This ensures the race distance remains roughly the same.

Time Limits

• Maximum Race Time: Even if the full distance isn't covered, the race ends when the leader crosses the finish line after two hours (or three hours if the race is suspended).
• Safety Car Impact on Time: If the race is suspended, the suspension duration is added to the two-hour limit, up to a maximum of three hours.

Points Allocation

Points are awarded based on the percentage of the race distance completed in kilometers, with full points awarded if the leader completes 75% or more of the scheduled distance. No points are awarded if the leader completes less than two laps.

A recent example of a shortened race was the Belgian Grand Prix in 2021 where only half the points were awarded. The race is the only World Championship race not to have any running under full green flag conditions.