Find out how many laps each Formula 1 Grand Prix consists of, plus circuit length and race distances for every Formula 1 track.

Every Formula 1 race is unique. Different circuits have characteristics which makes them famous, whether they’re iconic tracks, or temporary street circuits.

Unlike some other motorsport series, Formula 1 races are run to a specific distance, rather than time or a set number of laps. This number of laps changes dependant on the length of the circuit, to ensure each race is roughly the same length of time.

That’s why you may see one race that has 78 laps, and the next week it has 40 laps at a different circuit.

This also has an impact on fans in the grandstands at a race. You will want to know exactly how many loops of the circuit the cars will make, and how many times they will pass your view.

Our handy guide lists the number of laps of Formula 1 races for the 2023 season, and answers any questions you might have about the length of F1 races.

Formula 1: Circuit lengths, race distances and number of laps

How many laps are there in each Formula 1 race?

The list of races below lists the different Formula 1 races, the length of the circuit, race distance and number of laps in each Grand Prix.

RaceCircuitCircuit lengthRace DistanceLaps
Australian Grand PrixMelbourne Grand Prix Circuit5.303km307.574km58
Bahrain Grand PrixBahrain International Circuit5.412km308.238km57
Chinese Grand PrixShanghai International Circuit5.451km305.066km56
Azerbaijan Grand PrixBaku City Circuit6.003km306.049km51
Spanish Grand PrixCircuit de Barcelona-Catalunya4.655km307.104km66
Monaco Grand PrixCircuit de Monaco3.337km260.286km78
Canadian Grand PrixCircuit Gilles Villeneuve4.361km305.270km70
Austrian Grand PrixRed Bull Ring4.318km306.452km71
British Grand PrixSilverstone Circuit5.891km306.198km52
Hungarian Grand PrixHungaroring4.381km306.630km70
Belgian Grand PrixCircuit de Spa-Francorchamps7.004km308.052km44
Dutch Grand PrixZandvoort4.259km306.648km72
Italian Grand PrixAutodromo Nazionale di Monza5.793km306.720km53
Singapore Grand PrixMarina Bay Street Circuit5.063km308.706km61
Imola Grand PrixAutodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari4.909km309.949km63
Japanese Grand PrixSuzuka5.807km307.471km53
Mexican Grand PrixAutodromo Hermanos Rodriguez4.304km305.354km71
United States Grand PrixCircuit of the Americas5.513km308.405km56
Brazilian Grand PrixAutodromo Jose Carlos Pace4.309km305.879km71
Saudi Arabia Grand PrixJeddah Street Circuit6.175km308.750km50
Abu Dhabi Grand PrixYas Marina Circuit5.554km305.355km55
Miami Grand PrixHard Rock Stadium Circuit5.41km308.37km57
Qatar Grand PrixLusail Circuit5.419km308.826km57
Las Vegas Grand PrixLas Vegas Street Circuit6.201km310.05km50

What are the rules about race distances?

The minimum length of a Formula 1 race is 305km, or 190 miles. A race must complete at least as many laps as it takes to get to that distance.

However, there is an exception. The Monaco Grand Prix is run to a distance of 260km, or 160 miles. Why the exception? A lap of Monaco is short, but slow. Max Verstappen’s average speed when he won the 2021 race was 157km/h, compared to the 288km/h by which he won in Styria. Therefore, the exception is made to run it to a shorter distance.

Max Verstappen at the Austrian Grand Prix

How long is a Formula 1 race?

Typically, a Formula 1 race will last between 80 and 100 minutes from start to finish. This can be longer if there are many Safety Car periods, where the cars slow down, or red flags, which pauses the race. In the case of a red flag, the race is likely to last over 2 hours.

What was the longest Formula 1 race is history?

The longest race in Formula 1 was back in 2011 at the Canadian Grand Prix. It was plagued by a record six Safety Car and Red Flag periods as the clock ran for a grand total of four hours, four minutes and 39 seconds in Montreal. The very wet race was eventually won by McLaren’s Jenson Button.

In 2021 the FIA reduced the maximum length of a Formula 1 race to three hours. This means that we will not see a repeat of this mammoth time.

What’s the most number of laps in a single F1 race?

Formula 1 drivers used to take on 200 laps of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. That was through the 50s and ‘60s, when the Indy 500 was a part of the championship. The most laps in a race currently on the calendar is Monaco. Here the drivers do dizzying 78 laps of the famous street circuit.

The circuit with the fewest laps is Spa in Belgium. The track is more than 7km in length which means that the race consists of just 44 laps.

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