F1’s current points structure has been in place since 2010, but next week chiefs will discuss a potential tweak to solve a current problem with the scoring system
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The Formula 1 points system could undergo a revamp for the first time in more than a decade.
The structure has only changed on a handful of occasions throughout the F1 championship’s history. The most recent came in 2010, when the current system of 25 points for a winner was adopted.
At the moment, the top 10 finishers take home points for their efforts. But the F1 Commission will next week discuss the prospect of extending that to the top 12 cars, reports Motorsport.com.
As it stands, the second-placed finished scores 18 points while there are 15 on offer for third place. From fourth to 10th, the points rewards in descending order are: 12, 10, 8, 6, 4, 2, 1.
Under the proposed new scoring system, the prize for the top seven finishers in a Grand Prix would not change. But the eighth-placed finisher would scored five points, while there would be four on offer for ninth, three for 10th, two for 11th and one point for the driver who finishes 12th.
The proposal comes as the current balance of power on the F1 grid makes it very difficult for the smaller outfits to score. There is a significant performance gap between the top five teams and the rest of the grid.
And that makes it very difficult for any of those smaller teams to score points, even if they have a strong weekend. Under the current system, they are left to rely on one or more of the drivers in the top 10 crashing or suffering a mechanical issue.
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Extending the points down to 12 places would offer two more scoring opportunities for those teams to fight for. The argument is that it would be an improvement for the sport if there was a wider distribution of points on offer.
Red Bull, Ferrari, Mercedes, McLaren and Aston Martin are comfortably ahead of the other teams in terms of race pace. So far this season, only RB and Haas have managed to disrupt the top 10 and take advantage of misfortune befalling those who would otherwise have stayed ahead of them. Williams, Sauber and Alpine have yet to score a point in 2024.
Universal support for the change is unlikely, but also not necessary. Six of the 10 teams need to vote in favour of the change in order for it to be approved and, if that happens, the new system could be brought in for next season.