This time the FIA really has dropped the ‘most wins’ rule for 2010

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Next year's championship won't be decided on wins after all

The FIA has now dropped the ‘most wins’ championship system for 2010. It release a revised version of next year’s rules unannounced earlier this week.

It had previously left the rule in the version of the regulations published after last week’s World Motor Sports Council Meeting.

The original document (dated April 30th) read:

6) WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

6.1 The Formula One World Championship driver’s title will be awarded to the driver who has been classified first in the greatest number of races, all official results from the Championship season being taken into account. Points will be awarded to all drivers in accordance with Article 6.4 below and, in the event that two or more drivers win an equal number of races, the driver with the greatest number of points will be awarded the driver’s title.

Points will be used to establish the remaining overall Championship standings.

The revised document (dated May 6th) on the FIA website now reads:

6) WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

6.1 The Formula One World Championship driver’s title will be awarded to the driver who has scored the highest number of points, taking into consideration all the results obtained during the Events which have actually taken place.

The move has been noted on several F1 blogs but largely ignored in the rest of the motor racing media.

It reminds of the FIA’s mistake during the McLaren-Ferrari spying controversy when it released a PDF in which it believed it had censored out sensitive references to aspects of McLaren and Ferrari’s cars – when in fact the censorship could be easily reversed. Although it attracted widespread discussion online many F1 sites ignored or missed the story.

It’s worth stating once again that this mistake was made by a governing body which claims it can cope with running ‘two-tier’ technical regulations next year. I for one don’t believe they’re capable of getting that right any more than they did this.

And their attempt to hide their mistake and hope no-one will notice it does not fill me with confidence either.

If you want to compare the two sets of regulations for yourself you’ll find them in the F1 Fanatic drop.io.

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Author information

Keith Collantine
Lifelong motor sport fan Keith set up RaceFans in 2005 - when it was originally called F1 Fanatic. Having previously worked as a motoring...

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40 comments on “This time the FIA really has dropped the ‘most wins’ rule for 2010”

  1. thank God they don’t use it. any chance using the 12 points winner Keith?

  2. HounslowBusGarage
    9th May 2009, 0:02

    Y’know Keith, something makes me think the FIA haven’t a clue what they’re doing.

    1. ….you feel that way too?

    2. I don’t know anyone who thinks otherwise.

    3. i think they do, although the system is from another century.

      my opinion of this change is this: despite universal rejection of bernie’s lame medals, max pushed it because he wanted something from bernie. now, either the deal fell apart, or there’s a new deal. the fia may be trying to appease the teams and drivers, or (ssshhhhh)…the fans.

  3. Thanks for making this issue clear now Keith. At least you can get things sorted and organise things properly.

    This latest debacle by the FIA shows they are not competent to run the motor racing world.

    And i agree again Keith, how can even possibly think they can run a 2 tier championship with the capping rules they want to use from 2010.

    Could anyone really police such a situation?

    I doubt anyone could run the FIA worse than these guys?

  4. Like everyone else I am so happy to hear this. I wonder what Bernie’s response will be – he seemed dead set on pushing through the winner takes all rule.

  5. Jonesracing82
    9th May 2009, 1:37

    FIA seem incapable of running 1 set of regs, let alone 2…..

  6. THANK GOD!! Just use 12 points for first

  7. excellent news!

  8. I saw this quite by accident as I printed a copy to put in my “mark-up” book. I had done the April 30 edition already and saw a May 6th date on the latest release. So, I printed and was putting page 1 april edition followed by page 1 May edition. They did not match. I thought I had discovered something, but others had seen it too.

    I am now looking to see what else they may have sneaked through. Or I could just wait until Keith sorts it out. I know he and his guys will. Good work!

  9. Stealthman
    9th May 2009, 3:49

    Rejoice, children, for Salvation has arrived. ;) I’m so relieved. :D

  10. This is good news indeed, but the cynic in me wonders why? It’s not often Bernie backs down, after all.

  11. glad to hear they dropped it…

    but what a clown factory… got to be the dumbest ruling body in all of sport.

  12. ILoveVettel
    9th May 2009, 5:49

    !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  13. I’m a bit over the FIA/Max/Bernie bashing.
    It was a small error that was swiftly corrected.

    I choose to be pleased that the current points system remains, rather than being infuriated by the FIA’s mistake.

    F1 is fantastic at the moment. Who do we have to thank for that?

  14. ILoveVettel
    9th May 2009, 5:52

    Keith, could you please let us know what else are the discrepancies over the the two sets of published regulations…

  15. MacademiaNut
    9th May 2009, 6:18

    I heard on Speed TV that the teams were given the 2009 and 2010 rules; along with the changes highlighted. One rule change was not highlighted in the 2010 set — guess which one — the championship being decided on the basis of most wins.

    I am glad to see this gone.

    1. And that’s exactly what makes me think it was a genuine error that the FIA now fixed. Silly, but that’s the way it is, I believe.

  16. KingHamilton&co
    9th May 2009, 7:43

    The FIA dont know what they are doing, but atleast they got it right!

    Thank god for that!

  17. Good news!

  18. Well now it seems that I will be watching F1 next year afterall, which is a good thing. But like you Keith I (and proberly everyone else) still thinks that the two tier system will only bring more error of judgements and as a result more controversy and scandals.

  19. FORMULA ONE IN GOOD NEWS SHOCKER!!

    :D

  20. chaostheory
    9th May 2009, 9:04

    I don’t know if I should be happy now? Is it really over? What could stop FIA (and Bernie) from introducing it later this year without noticing teams?

  21. They dropped it, okey… but for how long??
    This is just unprofessional.

  22. Well, lets hope we now finally have seen the end of Bernies medal system.
    Now lets cross our fingers for the 12 9 7 5 4 3 2 1 system as proposed by FOTA.

  23. I really wouldn’t like a F1 season ending with final point standings like:
    Hamilton – 145pts
    Button – 128pts
    etc.

    Just doesn’t look right. 10pts for a win is the only option.

    1. But even with 10 points for a win Damon you could still get those figures you quote for Hamilton and Button.

  24. schumi the greatest
    9th May 2009, 9:59

    im whole heartedly for the budget cap. i think the concept is brilliant but watching inside f1 on bbc last night martin brundle pointed out somehting that i hadnt really thought about. The manafacturers, your ferrari’s toyota’s bmw’s & mclaren, the big teams in other words, are going to have to just throw hundreds of people out of work! How are they going to manage that??

    i think the cap needs to be raised by perhaps 50% to £60million.

    on a sporting point i cant think of anything worse than two tier formula’s. its crap! i think if the fia talk to the big manafacturers and work out a cap they are happy to come down to, aslong as its reasonable to the smaller teams then thats what should be agreed. Thing is aslong as the cap is under £100million, the back of the grid teams are still going to be saving about 25% of their budgets!

    im fed up of the dictatorship rule of the fia

  25. @ scunnyman
    But you don’t. ;]

    1. Damon you’re gonna have to explain yourself m8.

      But going by your amounts for each driver i can’t see how they could get to those amounts with 17 races with 10 points for a win.

      If anyone can let me know.

  26. They’re better off putting a bunch of monkeys in the FIA offices – I think they would do a better job than the regime that’s in now…

  27. Cant Keith run the FIA?

  28. Bigbadderboom
    9th May 2009, 14:41

    Common sense prevails, the thing is now I am looking over my shoulder because I’m sure Bernie or Max will have something just as crazy they wish to impliment for next year.

    1. HounslowBusGarage
      9th May 2009, 20:17

      Well, remember Max’s suggestion that all the drivers should drive each other’s cars by rotation . . .

  29. Shahriar Ahsan
    9th May 2009, 16:35

    am so happy……

  30. Finally, the FIA sees sense…

  31. I feel a conspiracy coming on

  32. I was 90% through another “silly Max” post, when I remembered about his recent personal loss. As a father, I will hold my tongue (keyboard).

    As for Bernie, I know I am a terrible cynic, but would Slavica leaving with all the goodies protect him from having HIS **** sued off when F1 goes broke, or FOTA finally tells him to go shove it, in the next few years?

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