For more than 30 years, drivers have needed to obtain the Super License to get to Formula 1, but since 2015 the system has changed and become more demanding.
The groundbreaking arrival of Max Verstappen in F1 at just 17 years old (the only driver to debut as a minor) and without a driving license made the FIA decide to establish a minimum age, and also in 2015 it introduced the always controversial points system.
What is the FIA Superlicence?
It is the license that allows you to be in Formula 1, and which was introduced by the FIA in 1990 to identify drivers with sufficient quality and experience to be in the world championship. The Superlicence was established with the aim that not ‘just anyone’ compete for a grand prize and to avoid certain dangers that are presupposed due to lack of experience.
Without a Superlicence, a driver can take part in private or collective tests, but not in a classification or a World Championship race.
What is needed to have the Superlicense and be an official F1 driver?
- be 18 years old
- Have a driver’s license (and with a clean record, which has never been withdrawn)
- Have an international Grade A license as a pilot
- Pass a written test
- Have been competing for at least two years
- Have completed at least 300 km of testing in a recent Formula 1
- Add 40 points in the Superlicense points system
- Pay it (its price is between 10,000 and 20,000 euros)
How do I get the necessary points for the F1 Superlicence? How many are there, how many does each category contribute, etc.
To prove their worth and show that they deserve to be at the top of motorsport, the FIA requires drivers who aspire to reach F1 to have already achieved significant results in other categories. To get the Superlicense, you need to add 40 points in the three seasons prior to entering F1.
As you will see in the table below, currently being crowned in the two most important single-seater categories beyond F1 (Formula 2 and IndyCar) directly gives you the 40 Super License points, but in the rest of the championships a single title is not enough. golden year if you do not add more points in the other two last courses.
In addition, the rally championships do not compute to have the F1 Superlicence.
Points system to get the Superlicense for F1
| Category |
1º |
2º |
3º |
4º |
5º |
6º |
7º |
8º |
9º |
10º |
|
formula 2 |
40 |
40 |
40 |
30 |
20 |
10 |
8 |
6 |
4 |
3 |
|
IndyCar |
40 |
30 |
20 |
10 |
8 |
6 |
4 |
3 |
2 |
1 |
|
formula 3 |
30 |
25 |
20 |
10 |
8 |
6 |
4 |
3 |
two |
1 |
|
Formula E |
||||||||||
|
FIA WEC-LMP1 |
30 |
24 |
20 |
16 |
12 |
10 |
8 |
6 |
4 |
2 |
|
European Regional Formula |
25 |
20 |
15 |
10 |
7 |
5 |
3 |
two |
1 |
0 |
|
Japan Super Formula |
||||||||||
| FIA WEC-LMP2 |
20 |
16 |
12 |
10 |
8 |
6 |
4 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
| DTM |
20 |
16 |
12 |
10 |
7 |
5 |
3 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
| Super GT | ||||||||||
| F3 Asia |
18 |
14
|
12
|
10
|
6
|
4 |
3 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
| F3 Americas | ||||||||||
| Formula Renault Eurocup |
18 |
14 |
12 |
10 |
6 |
4 |
3 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
| IMSA Prototypes |
18 |
14 | 10 | 8 | 6 | 4 | two | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| World Touring Cup (WTC) |
15
|
12 |
10 |
7 |
5 |
3 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
| Supercars | ||||||||||
| NASCAR Cup | ||||||||||
| Indy Lights | ||||||||||
| W Series | ||||||||||
| Euroformula Open | ||||||||||
| Super Formula Lights | ||||||||||
| F4 Championships |
10 |
12 | 7 | 5 | 3 | two | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Asian Le Mans Series |
10
|
8 |
6 |
4 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| European Le Mans Series | ||||||||||
| FIA WEC-GTE Pro | ||||||||||
| FIA WEC-GTE Am | ||||||||||
| F3 Asian Winters Series |
10
|
7 |
5 |
3 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| F3 National Championships | ||||||||||
| Formula Mazda | ||||||||||
| NASCAR Xfinity Series | ||||||||||
| Toyota Racing Series | ||||||||||
| International GT3 |
6 |
4 | two | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Senior FIA Karting World Championships |
4 |
3 | two | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| FIA Senior Continental Karting Championships |
3 |
two |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| FIA Junior Karting World Championships | ||||||||||
| FIA Continental Junior Karting Championships |
two |
1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
A driver who does not have a Super License can take part in the first session of Free Practice 1 (FP1) if he meets the requirements of being of legal age, driver’s license, has added 25 Super License points in the last three years or has played six Formula races two.
When a driver gets the F1 Superlicence, does he have it forever?
No, and in fact you can lose it. The Superlicence must be renewed every year, and it can be lost because there is a system of sanction points in the Superlicence. This system is that if a pilot receives 12 points in a year (12 months) for infractions, he will be sanctioned with missing a world championship race. Since Romain Grosjean caused a brutal crash at Belgium 2012, no driver has been penalized for missing a race, and no one has directly lost their Super License for dangerous driving since Yuji Ide at Imola 2006.
