The Formula 1 Commission held a meeting on April 25 to discuss various topics, including a proposed change to the points system that could be implemented as early as next season.
Under the revised structure the top twelve drivers would be awarded points, as opposed to just the top ten. The points distribution for the top seven finishers would remain unchanged (25-18-15-12-10-8-6) with positions eight through twelve being awarded 5-4-3-2-1 point(s) accordingly.
The change would mainly benefit the slower teams, who currently find themselves going home empty-handed even after a strong race, largely due to improved reliability and the competitiveness in the midfield. Considering the disparity between the top five and bottom five teams, Red Bull, Ferrari, McLaren, Mercedes and Aston Martin are expected to pick up the vast majority of the points on offer, barring any incidents or reliability issues.
Meanwhile, Williams, Sauber and Alpine are yet to score points this season. Under the proposed system, all of the aforementioned teams would have put points on the board, with Williams being the main beneficiary, having finished 11th in Saudi Arabia and Australia, and 12th in China.
For the change to take effect in 2025, the motion would first need to be voted through. The smaller teams are understandably backing the proposal, while some of the bigger teams appear either in favour of or neutral on the proposed change. Ferrari’s Fred Vasseur, for example, expressed his support for the idea, drawing from his firsthand experience as Sauber/Alfa Romeo’s team principal.
No consensus has been reached on the matter as of yet. The F1 Commission deferred the decision, with further talks expected to take place later this year.
The FIA released a statement following the conclusion of the meeting, confirming that “it was agreed that further analysis of proposed changes was required with a view to a proposal to be presented to the F1 Commission meeting in July.”
With Australia returning as the season opener for the 2025 season, the F1 Commission has stated it will be accepting proposals for pre-season testing dates/venues from Formula One Management, for their consideration.
Rear-facing cameras are set to be introduced from the 2024 Spanish Grand Prix. Several “minor changes were also approved for the Sporting and Financial Regulations.”
