Before 2015, the FIA Super Licence existed primarily as a formal credential granted largely at the organisation's discretion, without a structured points ladder. The revamp created Supplement 1 of the relevant FIA International Sporting Code regulations, assigning a specific points value to each finishing position in each eligible championship. Championships must meet minimum participation and calendar thresholds — at least five events across at least three distinct circuits — to qualify for points allocation.
Points are awarded based on final championship position. A driver may count results from up to two championships in a single calendar year, provided the second series began after the first had concluded. The best-scoring three of a driver's previous four seasons can be combined to reach the 40-point threshold.
Bonus points supplement the main allocation. A driver earns one point for completing at least 100 km in each Formula One Free Practice session, up to a maximum of ten such points per career. Additional bonuses apply for finishing a championship without accruing FIA penalty points (two points), and for winning the Macau Grand Prix, with the value depending on the formula class used — five points for Formula 3, three for Formula Regional, and two for Formula 4.
The points scale for any given event is also adjusted downward if fewer than sixteen drivers start the opening race of the event, with a 10 percent reduction applied for each driver below that threshold.
The highest point allocations at the top of Supplement 1 are reserved for championships considered the most direct feeders to Formula One. Formula 2 and Formula 3 carry the largest single-season totals available to a driver finishing as champion. National and regional Formula 4 series, along with championships in GT and sports car categories that include single-seater equivalent requirements, carry lower values.
The applicable points scale for a result is determined by the regulatory text in force during the year in which the final championship standing was achieved, meaning that retroactive changes to the table do not alter previously earned totals.
In championships where two drivers share a single car across a season, the FIA Driver Categorisation system determines the fraction of earned points each receives. Platinum and Gold-ranked drivers receive 100 percent of the points; Silver-ranked drivers receive 75 percent; Bronze-ranked drivers receive 50 percent. Drivers without a categorisation receive no Super Licence points from a shared drive.
In response to the disruption of the 2020 and 2021 seasons, the FIA temporarily amended the rules to allow drivers to count the best three seasons from four consecutive years rather than three, provided the window included 2021. A further exception permitted the licence to be granted by FIA discretion to drivers who accumulated at least 30 points if circumstances outside their control prevented them from reaching 40.
From the 2019 Formula One season, a separate Free Practice Only Super Licence was introduced for drivers participating solely in practice sessions. This licence requires a minimum of 25 accumulated Super Licence points, or completion of six races in Formula 2, within the previous three years. It is not automatically conferred by holding a standard Super Licence.
The points system formalised the path from junior categories to Formula One, giving teams and drivers a clear objective measure of readiness. Series promoters have incentive to maintain strong grids and calendar depth, since the minimum-entrant and minimum-event thresholds directly affect the points value their championship can offer participants. The system is reviewed periodically and the Supplement 1 table is updated, most recently as of March 2026, to reflect the evolving landscape of junior single-seater racing globally.