Pros and cons: is a new points system needed in F1 and what would it change?

The ten teams will consult with the leaders of the FIA ​​and F1 on Thursday at the regular meeting of the F1 committee. One of the main topics of their discussion is the possibility of introducing a new points system in 2025. As we have already reported, at the suggestion of the smaller teams, it was suggested that instead of the current 10, 12 competitors will be rewarded with points in the future, according to the following system:

The idea behind the innovation is the current situation of F1: Red Bull, Ferrari, McLaren, Mercedes and Aston Martin are so much better than the other five teams that, according to the paper form, it is almost guaranteed that their drivers will fill the 10 points-scoring places. In the second half of the field, the fight is for one point, but sometimes for nothing, and in the championship only a few units can decide the fate of the 6th to 10th places.

The league table shows what the problem is. Three of the 10 teams (Williams, Alpine, Sauber) do not yet have a single point, and the other two teams in the lower house, RB and Haas, only have a total of 13. Meanwhile, Red Bull currently leads the standings with 215 points.

What would change?

Since the new points system would not bring any change in terms of the first positions, the position of the leading teams would not change dramatically at the moment either.

In the current standings, we would experience the first individual place change in 7th place, where Fernando Alonso would move forward, ahead of George Russell. In the lower house, Nico Hülkenberg would improve two places, Juki Cunoda and Oliver Bearman would lose one, but the order behind them would be the same as now.

At the team level, Haas and RB would exchange places with each other, the only difference would be that there would be points next to the names of the trio that are now without points.

The development of the individual championship with the current and the new point system:

	Competitor	Score			Competitor	Score
1.	Verstappen	110		1.	Verstappen	110
2.	Perez	85		2.	Perez	85
3.	Leclerc	76		3.	Leclerc	76
4.	Sainz	69		4.	Sainz	69
5.	Norris	58		5.	Norris	59
6.	Piastri	38		6.	Piastri	41
7.	Russell	33		7.	Alonso	34
8.	Alonso	31		8.	Russell	33
9.	Hamilton	19		9.	Hamilton	25
10.	Stroll	9		10.	Stroll	12
11.	Cunoda	7		11.	Hulkenberg	12
12.	Bearman	6		12.	Cunoda	9
13.	Hulkenberg	4		13.	Bearman	6
14.	Magnussen	1		14.	Magnussen	5
15.	Albon	0		15.	Albon	5
16.	Ocon	0		16.	Ocon	2
17.	Chow	0		17.	Chow	2
18.	Ricciardo	0		18.	Ricciardo	1
19.	Gasly	0		19.	Gasly	0
20.	Bottas	0		20.	Bottas	0
21.	Sargeant	0		21.	Sargeant	0

The evolution of the constructors’ championship with the current and new points system:

	Team	Score			Team	Score
1.	Red Bull	195		1.	Red Bull	195
2.	Ferrari	151		2.	Ferrari	151
3.	McLaren	96		3.	McLaren	100
4.	Mercedes	52		4.	Mercedes	58
5.	Aston Martin	40		5.	Aston Martin	46
6.	RB	7		6.	Haas	17
7.	Haas	5		7.	RB	10
8.	Williams	0		8.	Williams	5
9.	Alpine	0		9.	Alpine	2
10.	Sauber	0		10.	Sauber	2

THE Race fans he also examined the results of the past years and found that the different system would have brought about several changes in the final result, but rather only in the second half of the field. In 2023, however, Mercedes and Ferrari would have finished in the reverse order in the constructors’ championship, the reds would have beaten the actual second place with the exact same result, but with better positions.

In the same year, the 7-8. Alpha Tauri would have overtaken Williams in the 6th and 7th place a year earlier. (Alfa Romeo, Aston Martin) and 8-9. placed winners (Haas, Alpha Tauri) would also have changed places. In 2021, Alfa Romeo would have been the 8th instead of Williams.

What are the teams saying?

The renewal of the points system divides the participants for now. The bosses of the smaller teams would understandably support the reform.

“Nowadays, the last five are considered big teams, and it is very difficult to explain to outsiders, our partners and our fans that we are fighting for the eleventh place, for which there are no points. If you look at the level of competition between the top five teams and how reliable the cars are, in most races we are theoretically fighting for zero points and we don’t think that’s right.”

he explained Laurent Mekiesteam leader of the RB.

“Also, we think it’s more merit-based, because if the top twelve get points, it avoids that if something extraordinary happens and someone gets fifth or fourth in the rain, the rest of them might as well stay home for ten races. It fits all the needs, it doesn’t seem to have any downsides, so hopefully it will be accepted.”

Red Bull consultant, Helmut Marko also thinks the idea is good. “The reason is that a two-category field was created. If the drivers of the top five teams have no technical problems and Mr. Stroll has a normal day, the other five teams will not be awarded points. The cost cap has made the field denser, resulting in exciting battles in the midfield. This should be rewarded in some form. If ten competitors are fighting so hard, but there is no point in sight for them, then maybe it’s time to change something.”

“In addition, there is also the fact that the reliability in the field is extraordinary. Earlier, we saw that the fifteenth-placed driver was overtaken twice by the leader. There is no such thing today. For this reason, I consider the scoring of the first twelve places to be a correct development” Marko said.

colleague, Christian Horner the situation is not so clear for him. “I have mixed feelings about this. You can see that there is a lot of competition and there are two groups in F1 at the moment. It is difficult for the teams in sixth to tenth place. We need to look at the numbers and analytics and ask what would change. I am neutral. Unless, of course, you have to pay for the points” said the Briton.

Ferrari team boss, Frédéric Vasseur he managed Alfa Romeo for years, so he understands why smaller teams want to change. “I’m not against it. I come from Alfa Romeo and I completely understand that sometimes it’s frustrating when you have a great weekend, but if there’s no relegation ahead of you, you’re only going to be eleventh and you don’t get any points.”

What are the contestants saying?

Competitors’ opinions about the point system are divided. It also belongs to the competitors of the smaller teams. Valtteri Bottas according to which the perception of change depends on the situation. “Where our team is now, yes” – the Finn answered the question whether he would welcome the amendment. “But if you’re in the top three or four teams, I don’t care. That’s just the way it goes. But it would be good for us. I think the more scoring positions, the better. Also on the sprint. This results in more competition” – said the Sauber driver.

Among other things, the new system Esteban Ocon would also be one of the winners, as he could have scored his first point of the year last Sunday in Shanghai. Nevertheless, the Frenchman is not convinced of the correctness of the amendment proposal and that F1 is approaching the problem from the right direction.

“Let’s put it this way: it’s like putting a Band-Aid on a big cut… This is how you can help in the current situation. It would definitely work because we would have scored a point now. But I would be happier if I could fight at the top and all teams were closer to each other”

he highlighted.

Haas driverKevin Magnussen on the other hand, he would be happy with the extra reward. In fact, he suggested, F1 could go even further and distribute points on a NASCAR model.

“Perhaps it would be even better if everyone got points and then there would always be something to fight for. It wouldn’t change the result of the championship anyway, but at least there would be an interesting battle for the last five places.”

“Let’s say fifty points to the winner, and then we would distribute them. Maybe that would be a good idea. It would make it interesting. When you’re fighting for sixteenth or fourteenth place, it would be nice to have something to fight for. Now you feel pointless” explained the Dane.

The counterarguments

When it was introduced in 2010 that the first 10 places would receive points instead of the 8, the question arose as to whether F1 would not fall to the other side of the horse with this. At that time, 24 cars competed, currently 10, i.e. half of the field, receive rewards.

It was raised as a counter-argument against further expansion: the current one is only a snapshot, the field may become denser later, the fight may become more diverse, and if this happens, the current system is also perfectly adequate.

The goal of F1 from the start is to make the fight more balanced – why should it react to the present, which is still far from its goal, by exaggerating the distribution of points?

The loss of value of points also arises as an argument. Who doesn’t remember (especially in Zsolt Baumgartner’s home country) what a celebration of joy it was for a Minardi-level team, if after a few years (!) their competitors rarely scored points. It was celebrated many times like the championship. Jules Bianchi’s scoring in Monaco also became the most memorable moment in F1 from his short career, in which he had only one period in Marussia.

The former driver, Christian Danner, was still active in F1 in the era when only the top 6 were rewarded with points, while the field consisted of not 20, but up to 26 cars. Since he was primarily a member of smaller teams, it is thanks to this system that he was awarded 4 points during his career.

“A championship point was extremely valuable and I still experienced that it’s great when you achieve something like that” – drew attention to the contrast between quantity and value Motorsport Magazinea German speaking to.

“For me, a championship point is quite valuable. And the more they distribute, the more they water down the soup. I feel this is excessive scoring and I don’t consider it the right way.”

“If it were up to me, I would still prefer to use the best six system today. Only those who are really in front would get points” he explained. “Yes, the significantly better cars have a lower chance of scoring points, and it’s extremely difficult for the weaker teams. But it’s a compromise you have to make. I think getting top ten points is a very good compromise” – took a stand in favor of the unchanged point system.