How Many Laps Are There In Each Formula 1 Race?

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.

Most Formula 1 races last around two hours dependant on the number of red flag incidents. However, a race cannot last more than three hours. 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 2026 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.

Race	Circuit	Circuit length	Race Distance	Laps
Australian Grand Prix 🇦🇺	Melbourne Grand Prix Circuit	5.303km	307.574km	58
Chinese Grand Prix 🇨🇳	Shanghai International Circuit	5.451km	305.066km	56
Japanese Grand Prix 🇯🇵	Suzuka	5.807km	307.471km	53
Bahrain Grand Prix 🇧🇭	Bahrain International Circuit	5.412km	308.238km	57
Saudi Arabia Grand Prix 🇸🇦	Jeddah Street Circuit	6.175km	308.750km	50
Miami Grand Prix 🇺🇸	Hard Rock Stadium Circuit	5.41km	308.37km	57
Canadian Grand Prix 🇨🇦	Circuit Gilles Villeneuve	4.361km	305.270km	70
Monaco Grand Prix 🇲🇨	Circuit de Monaco	3.337km	260.286km	78
Barcelona Grand Prix 🇪🇸	Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya	4.655km	307.104km	66
Austrian Grand Prix 🇦🇹	Red Bull Ring	4.318km	306.452km	71
British Grand Prix 🇬🇧	Silverstone Circuit	5.891km	306.198km	52
Belgian Grand Prix 🇧🇪	Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps	7.004km	308.052km	44
Hungarian Grand Prix 🇭🇺	Hungaroring	4.381km	306.630km	70
Dutch Grand Prix 🇳🇱	Zandvoort	4.259km	306.648km	72
Italian Grand Prix 🇮🇹	Autodromo Nazionale di Monza	5.793km	306.720km	53
Spanish Grand Prix 🇪🇸	Madring Circuit	5.474km	312.018km	57
Azerbaijan Grand Prix 🇦🇿	Baku City Circuit	6.003km	306.049km	51
Singapore Grand Prix 🇸🇬	Marina Bay Street Circuit	5.063km	308.706km	61
United States Grand Prix 🇺🇸	Circuit of the Americas	5.513km	308.405km	56
Mexican Grand Prix 🇲🇽	Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez	4.304km	305.354km	71
Brazilian Grand Prix 🇧🇷	Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace	4.309km	305.879km	71
Las Vegas Grand Prix 🇺🇸	Las Vegas Street Circuit	6.201km	310.05km	50
Qatar Grand Prix 🇶🇦	Lusail Circuit	5.419km	308.826km	57
Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 🇦🇪	Yas Marina Circuit	5.554km	305.355km	55

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.

How long is a Formula 1 race?

A Formula 1 race will last around two hours (typically 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 two 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.

Tickets to the 2026 F1 season are already selling fast – book your Formula 1 tickets here!

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