From next season, a new points system has been devised for the Formula One World Championship with the top ten drivers awarded points.
At present, only the top eight finishers receive championship points with ten going to the winner, then eight for finishing in second, six for third, five, four, three, two and one.
With the new points system proposed by the F1 Commission, the race winner will now receive 25 points, then 20, 15, 10, 8, 6, 5, 3, 2 and 1.
The increase in points is part of a new scheme to award championship points to the top ten finishers in each race due to the expanded grid in 2010.
Taking this new system into account, that means the new Formula One world champion Jenson Button has amassed 230.5 points compared to the actual 95 points he earned in taking the drivers’ title this season.
However, the margin of points between each finishing position seems rather inconsistent, with only a two-point difference between seventh and eighth, while only a single point for sixth and seventh.
In addition, there is only a five-point gap for the race winner and the driver coming home in second. The importance of winning the Grand Prix should have been made more significant, like 30 points for example. By adopting this idea, the driver behind will push even harder for the overall victory.
Hopefully the new system will encourage drivers to overtake each other in the race. Whether it will improve the spectacle remains to be seen.
News stories on the new points system for Formula One in 2010. Links below:
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/80531
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/formula_one/8407119.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/formula_one/8408151.stm
http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2009/12/10279.html
http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/2009/12/10/new-f1-points-system-proposed-for-2010/
http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/2009/12/11/fia-confirms-new-points-system-in-2010/
Autosport.com has provided an interesting article on what the new points system will mean to Formula One. Read the full story below:
The previous two changes to the Formula 1 points scoring system were implemented to alter the weighting between each position. The new-for-1991 system increased the winner’s score from 9 to 10, then the 2003 tweak increased the prize for second place from 6 to 8, and extended to eighth place.
The latest change, confirmed by the FIA World Motor Sport Council today, although it seems to be the most dramatic in the sport’s history, is not intended to – and will not – significantly alter the outcome of a championship.
Instead, it is simply to further increase the number of scoring cars from eight to 10 in accordance with the grid being boosted to 20 cars. In essence, it is just to make the smaller teams more likely to score and to give them something to fight for.
The higher scores will punish retirements more heavily, but in turn a driver can recover more quickly with a greater number of points on offer for a win or podium finish.
Under the 2010 system, the result of this year’s championship would have been exactly the same. Jenson Button would have beaten Sebastian Vettel (243 points to 203), with Rubens Barrichello third (187), Mark Webber fourth (178), Lewis Hamilton fifth (123), Kimi Raikkonen sixth (119), etc.
The close finishes of 2007 and 2008 would have retained the same order under the new system, with the following scores:
2008
Lewis Hamilton 240
Felipe Massa 239
2007
Kimi Raikkonen 271
Lewis Hamilton 270
Fernando Alonso 268
The close finish of 2003 would also have produced the same result, with Michael Schumacher beating Raikkonen 225 to 221.
In fact, you’d have to go back to 1999 to find the first change of place. Under the 2010 system, Eddie Irvine would have beaten Mika Hakkinen to the title 230 to 218. But Irvine would also have won that title under the 2003-2009 system.
The only major impact next season’s system will have is the affect the 2.5x increase to each place has on the statistical history of F1.
For example, in their careers Ayrton Senna scored 614 points, Nigel Mansell 482 and Jackie Stewart 360. A rookie driver now could pass all three in three seasons. Even Schumacher’s 1369 wouldn’t take all that much catching, which makes rather a mess of history for those that value the all-time stats.
But equally, you could already have argued that the statistics are skewed by the increase from 9 to 10 for a win, from six to eight cars scoring, by the varying amount of dropped scores between 1967 and 1990, and by the number of races in a season – from seven in 1950 to 19 in 2005.
The increase in points for Formula One is to improve the ‘show’. Read the Autosport.com story for the full details.
The FIA has asked the Formula 1 Sporting Working Group to bring forward proposals for making F1 more entertaining in time to be implemented for the 2010 season.
The Sporting Working Group, which is a sub-committee of the F1 Commission made up of representatives of the Formula 1 teams, including technical directors, is to make its recommendations to the January meeting of the governing body’s World Motor Council.
AUTOSPORT sources suggest that overtaking is a particular area of concern, with the leading teams believed to have already recovered much of the downforce lost to the 2009 regulations changes – it is predicted that downforce levels will exceed those at the end of the 2008 by the middle of next season.
The boss of the Malaysian Grand Prix, Razlan Razali, said at the Motor Sport Business Forum in Monaco earlier this week that circuits would welcome moves by the FIA to improve overtaking.
“If the FIA can come up with something to improve overtaking of the cars without us improving the circuits, then that is great,” said the Sepang circuit’s CEO. “The spectators, they don’t really look at the technical aspects of the car, they want exciting races and overtaking – so if the FIA can come up with something to help that, it’s good. But we always have a back-up plan, which is mother nature.”
The fans enjoyment of the sport was highlighted in Mercedes GP CEO Nick Fry’s pledge at the Motor Sport Business Formum that Formula 1 will do more to embrace its fans through new media, including the internet, in 2010.
“I think the accusation that we have been a bit slow on new media is correct – that we could have done a lot more,” Fry said. “But I think you might find that FOM have things they are working on at the moment that will hopefully see the light of day during the course of next year which will hopefully at least partially address that.”
Circuit bosses also conceded that they need to make their events more fan-friendly if they are to survive in the current financial climate.
The FIA has also created working groups to make proposals on environmental issues within FIA championships and the development of global rallying, while two sub-committees have been formed for tyre manufacturers and fuel suppliers.
In addition to the points change for 2010, former Formula One drivers are now part of the race stewards’ panel. See the links for more information.
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/80534
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/formula_one/8408475.stm
huh interesting stuff.
Hmmmmmmmmmmm.
Well I for once agree with the FIA. The points system did need a re-think and I do think extending the points for the lower finishers will help them secure funding etc. Telling your sponsors that last year you got this position in this race and that position in this other race, always sounds a bit like grovelling to me. Now being able to show then in points and seeing how they did with other teams is just quicker and cleaner. Of course the sponsors can then demand some many points before the plug is pulled. This happens a lot in racing in the U.S where by teams REALLY are under pressure to get results.
However, I’m also not sure if this is the right system. Do I know of the right system? Hell no, but I’m just not sure this is the one. There are big changes next year and until we know if they work I’m not sure messing with the points is wise in the same year. Big points difference in 1 to 2nd is all fine and something I think is a great idea, but if overtaking is still lame as it has been in the last few years, it could make for a boring season. Hell, in this system JB would have scored 150 points, way more than half his total for the season. A handfull more races and its game over half way through the season.
Yes it COULD make drivers fight more, but as has been proven, it’s not the driver failing to overtake! Unless the car behind has a huge power advantage, then it’s absolute nails to overtake. All that dirty airwash does not make an overtake. Now if the aero changes make overtaking easier, then yes this is great. Then go as far as Elton says and make it 10 points!
But than proves my ‘it’s too early’ view. We don’t know if overtaking will at last happen at the top end, so the championship could be over very quickly. Let things settle and then see, if you ask me the FIA took a look at Moto GP and just about every other racing sport has big point wins and, like they do, just slap in into F1 and expect it to work. Remember this season gone? It was all going to aif overtaking and be exciting. KERS, adjustable wings on the move was going to transform racing. Yeah…………..
Sorry meant JB getting 150 points in 6 race wins at the start of the season.
One other decision the FIA could ‘uck up. We have a refuelling ban next year. Very cool. But rumours are afloat that the FIA want a mandatory 2 stops per race????????????!!!?!? Holy crap my 16 month daughter could make better decisions than that!
YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING!!
Arrrgh!!
An update from Autosport.com about the new points system for 2010. Read on for more details:
Formula 1 has edged closer to a further overhaul of its points structure for the 2010 season after teams approved a new system that will offer greater rewards for winning, AUTOSPORT can reveal.
Just more than one month after the old 10-8-6-5-4-3-2-1 system was replaced with a MotoGP-type format (25-20-15-10-8-6-5-3-2-1), sources have revealed a meeting of F1 think tank the Sporting Working Group in London on Friday approved a further overhaul to reward more for race wins.
Rather than there being a five points different between first and second, teams agreed to expand that difference to seven points – with further tweaks to the points taking place lower down the order.
The new points structure approved by the SWG is: 25-18-15-12-10-8-6-4-2-1.
The matter still needs to be approved by next month’s meeting of the Formula 1 Commission before the FIA World Motor Sport Council can put it into the 2010 regulations, but this is likely to be a formality with teams already having voted in favour of the changes.
Although yet another change to the regulations is not ideal for F1, especially after such fanfare in December at the first amendment, Red Bull Racing team principal Christian Horner is adamant that the sport should always be ready to put its hands up if it thinks things are wrong.
He also believed a greater points gap between first and second would provide greater motivation for drivers to fight harder for the win.
“I think you should never be afraid of change so long as it is a change for the better,” he told AUTOSPORT ahead of the SWG meeting.
“And I think that what the points are trying to be designed to do are first of all – to generate a pecking order perhaps lower down in the top ten – so that with the points going down to 10th place there is reward for a top ten finish.
“But I think also one of the factors that Bernie is keen to look at is perhaps having a heavier weight between first, second and third, so there is more emphasis that rather than drivers cruising and collecting points, that they have to go for it.
“It is not because drivers don’t want to take the risk, but if the points difference between a win and second is two points it is not the end of the world, whereas if it is a significant number then it adds motivation for the drivers to push each other very hard.”
AUTOSPORT understands that the SWG also discussed the idea of awarding points for pole position or fastest lap, but neither of these concepts were agreed.
The SWG also talked at length about the possibility of introducing a rule that would force drivers to make two mandatory pit stops during a race, but this was not approved either. F1 drivers will therefore only need to make a single pit-stop in 2010 so as to ensure that they run on both types of tyres made available.