F1 driver standings
Table key
- Highlight: Rookie
- Bold: pole position
- Underline: fastest lap
- Bold & underline: pole & fastest lap
- DNQ: Did not qualify
- NC: Not classified
- DNS: Did not start
Points system and championship rules
The top five classified finishers of each race were awarded points on the following basis:
- 1st (8)
- 2nd (6)
- 3rd (4)
- 4th (3)
- 5th (2)
- fastest lap (1)
A point was awarded for setting the fastest lap. In the event of more than one driver setting the fastest lap points were shared.
Only the best five results counted towards the championship.
Numbers shown without parentheses are the points scored that counted towards the championship; numbers in parentheses are the total number of points scored.
Race to the title
The Race to the title graph shows how the title race played out over the course of the season between the top five drivers of 1959.