How F1’s rumoured new points system would have changed recent championships · RaceFans

Formula 1 is considering the first change to the distribution of points in a grand prix since 2010.

However the adjustment is relatively minor and would leave the value of most finishing positions, including a win, unchanged. So what effect would it have.

The plan is to extend the number of points-paying places from 10 to 12. Those who finish between 13th and 20th places would continue to go unrewarded:

The obvious reason for the change is that so many finishes go unrewarded in F1 today. The reliability of the frozen V6 hybrid turbos can almost be taken for granted, many car parts are required to last for multiple races and they are packed with sensors which allow teams to detect and often manage any emerging problems.

As a result, while only the top 10 finishers score points, at least 14 cars finished every race last year. You have to go back to the 2020 Tuscan Grand Prix crash-fest for the last race with only a dozen finishers. Not since the 2015 Australian Grand Prix has a race had less than that, so there is little chance the new points-scoring places will go unfilled.

But for many drivers the effect of the change will be negligible. While F1 points system changes have been measured by how they might have swung the outcomes of earlier championships, this one focuses on midfield positions, so it wouldn’t have changed the destiny of any title fight since wins became worth 25 points in 2010.

That year, Sebastian Vettel beat Fernando Alonso to the title by the narrow margin of four points. Under this scoring system Alonso would have picked up two more points, making his defeat even narrower. It wouldn’t have prevented Alonso losing the 2012 championship to Vettel either (both would have two points more).

Lewis Hamilton would have still lost the 2016 title to Nico Rosberg and the 2021 crown to Max Verstappen. In the latter case, the notorious last-lap change of title destiny would still have happened, though the pair wouldn’t have arrived at the finale tied on points, Verstappen having picked up two more points.

So this is unlikely to swing a championship title one way or another. It’s only going to affect the front-runners on those rare days when one suffers a technical problem or damage which leaves them slipping down the running order and wondering whether to park up or not.

This will make the most difference not for the drivers fighting for the top positions but the teams disputing the…