The latest World Motor Sport Council brought a number of regulation changes to multiple motorsport series, including Formula 1. Among the sporting, financial and aerodynamical modifications implemented, one of the most significant promoted was the elimination of the additional point awarded to the driver setting the fastest lap of the race if he is finishing in the top ten already.
Many drivers have been asked for their opinion on the matter ahead of the US GP, with the vast majority agreeing it is a change for the best, as it wasn’t meant to award a peculiar driving performance o an expression of talent.
Both Ferrari drivers were unanimous in agreeing with the removal of the rule, which had been reinstated in 2019 after a 60 years hiatus.
“Honestly, I’ve always felt like this point was very superficial because it always depends on your race situation, and it wasn’t really awarding a particular skill, in a way, because it was more about finding yourself in a lucky position where you could pit and do that fastest lap, so I think it’s good that it’s been taken off,” Charles Leclerc explained his point of view, underlining the randomness of its handing out.
Carlos Sainz expanded on the topic, mentioning how it does not manage to achieve its supposed purpose of celebrating the fastest man on track throughout the whole event:
“I always was of the opinion that it was a not-needed point in the points system of Formula 1, mainly because of how it is achieved. Right now, that point goes to the one that has a free pit stop one lap to the end of the race.
“So it’s not showing who is the fastest guy in the race, and he deserves one point for being the fastest guy. It’s a point that goes to the guy that by chance or by luck or by race situation has a free pit stop at some point of the race. It’s not always the case. Not always, but most of the time.”
Valtteri Bottas agrees with the Ferrari driver duo, admitting that in opportune conditions even his Sauber challenger, which has not been able to score a point in any round of the 2024 season so far, could be able to fight for it.
“It’s always depending on strategy, who stops the last basically, we’ll get it, so it doesn’t tell much. I think even with our car, we could sometimes get it if we stop just before the last lap, and go all out. So, it doesn’t tell about performance much.”
His Mercedes successor George Russell as well shares his main point, saluting with pleasure and a wordplay for its removal:
“I always thought the point for fastest lap was a bit pointless. It would always be the driver who was having a tough race in the top-10 who would put new tyres on and gain the extra point. I never really saw the benefit of that. I’m glad to see that’s gone.”
On the other hand, championship contender Lando Norris was rather against the regulation change, citing as reasoning the fact that it’s an achievable goal, in spite of how much can go wrong by pitting late in the race:
“I kind of liked how it is now. There’s an opportunity to go for something else. Sometimes you pay the price for risking such a thing, and it’s always been a risk in certain scenarios. If your pit stop goes wrong, you know, different reasons.”
The extra point had been the cause for some controversies after the past Singapore GP, of which the British driver had been in the midst of.
Norris, the eventual race winner, had been holding the the fastest lap of the day for the longest part of the session, but on the final trip around the Marina Bay street circuit Racing Bulls’ Daniel Ricciardo pitted and secured it.
By doing so, he ensured that fellow Red Bull tied driver and championship leader Max Verstappen lost one less point to the McLaren driver.
“If it’s such a case like we had in Singapore that’s repetitive, then I think it is the correct thing to do, but I don’t feel like they should change it just because of people questioning it after Singapore,” Norris added addressing what had happened in the Asian round.
