Nico Hulkenberg believes the bottom five Formula 1 teams “are worlds apart” from the larger organisations and is open to a change in the points system to reflect this.
Currently, only the top 10 drivers receive points in a grand prix, with an extra point for the fastest lap, providing that the driver has finished inside the top 10.
However, F1 teams have been divided into two sections with Red Bull, Ferrari, McLaren, Mercedes and Aston Martin now the established big five, leaving Williams, RB, Stake, Alpine and Hulkenberg’s Haas to often scrap for scant reward.
Although both Haas drivers and Yuki Tsunoda of RB scored points last time out in Australia, that was only because three drivers from the big five teams, Max Verstappen, Lewis Hamilton and George Russell retired.
Had this trio seen the chequered flag and taken likely points finishes, it would have meant the only point scored by the bottom five teams in the first three races would have been Hulkenberg’s 10th in Saudi Arabia.
Race pace is in contrast to qualifying speed, where the midfield runners can sometimes secure strong grid spots before falling back. Hulkenberg is now open to the idea of revamping the points to reflect the current competitive order.
“It is tricky as there are 20 cars and only 10 get points and it has been like that for a very long time,” Hulkenberg told media including RacingNews365.
“It feels right but obviously [the gap] on Sundays is enormous and maybe it is a bit too early to say [change the points], but if it keeps being like this for more time, then maybe it is something to consider.
“Even for qualifying, [there could be] points or something, but it is interesting to see with the budget caps how on Saturday everyone is so compact, sitting on top of each other with hundredths or thousandths making a big difference.
“Then on Sunday, it is just worlds apart – it is extreme and needs to be looked at.
“At the end of the day, the big teams still have more budget and resources. There is a difference for sure, and we can see that quite clearly on Sundays.”
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