F1 Fanatic

Singapore update

Alonso – 78
Vettel – 68
Raikkonen – 60
Hamilton – 55
Webber – 52
Button – 48
Rosberg – 36
Grosjean – 33
Perez – 26
Massa – 18
Schumacher – 15
Kobayashi – 12
Maldonado – 11
Hulkenberg – 10
di Resta – 15
Senna – 7
Vergne – 2

We need to award points down to 10th so that the midfield teams have something meaningful to race for. Just think of all the interest in who will take 7th/8th/9th/10th – often it is more interesting than the battle for the lead.

In contrast, nobody really cares who finishes 11th-15th because for the likes of Force India or Torro Rosso, that would simply mean no points and a faliure.

Now once we’re awarding 1 point to 10th place, we need to award more points to all the places above. Hence the current system.

This articles supports the topic I was actually going to post today, questioning the current points system & whether a change was needed.

The main reason for the introduction of the current points system back in 2010 was to provide more teams with an opportunity to score points, particularly the ‘new’ teams in Caterham (formerly Lotus), Marussia (formerly Virgin) & HRT, these teams now settled, yet to score their elusive point almost after three seasons since their entrances into the scene of the pinnacle of racing, & they still not demonstrating any encouraging signs that they are likely to score a point in the foresseable future (albeit Caterham in Valencia out-qualifying the Toro Rossos & with Petrov running in P11 at some stage I believe).

Personally, I’m beginning to dislike this points system now, just realised that there’s too much of a gap between 1st & 2nd in terms of difference in points scored (7, which equals the difference between 1st & 6th with the old system) & if a driver happens to score a DNF, especially when it’s through no fault of their own & plus they’re in a title battle, then they suffer immensely & quite frankly, unfairly. It also provides drivers in situations where they undeservedly in places they shouldn’t end up, clear example of this being after Vettel won in Bahrain to conclude the flyaways, after all his struggles with adapting to the RB exhaust systems & Webber arguably being the better driver if not on equal terms to Vettel, suddenly leapt up from 5th to leading the WDC from Hamilton heading to Spain. It was ridiculous for me to witness, first thought was ‘unbelievable, this guy has all his struggles, yet he leads the championship after the flyaway races’. I know it’s racing to some extent, life as well & stats are not meant to reflect performance all the time but… what I’m trying to imply is that a lot is lost from this current points system & it’s overly punishing.

Oh – & let’s not talk about the recent example. Suzuka.

The new system rewards a win more. Also, they wanted to have the percentage of drivers scoring per total drivers to remain the same as before 2010.

@sigman1998

The new system rewards a win more

That’s not entirely correct. The new system, compared to the older one, does NOT reward wins. It punishes P2.

Post-India, in 2009 points

Vettel – 98
Alonso – 92
Raikkonen – 69
Hamilton – 66
Webber – 66
Button – 57
Rosberg – 36
Grosjean – 35
Massa – 34
Perez – 26
Kobayashi – 18
di Resta – 15
Schumacher – 15
Hulkenberg – 14
Maldonado – 12
Senna – 7
Vergne – 3

In old points, Hamilton and Webber are knocked out, which they’re not in the current system (yet). Raikkonen is hanging by a thread (a point)

Post Abu Dhabi is what you mean.