Formula 1 should extend its points system to 12th place because the competition has become closer, team principals believe.
The F1 Commission last month deferred a decision on whether to award points to more than just the top 10 drivers, as it has done since 2010.
RB team principal Laurent Mekies is among those in favour of the change. “We think it’s a good idea to increase the points distribution, mainly because there is no back markers any more,” he said.
“We have 10 very strong teams. This year is a good example. We have a fantastic fight also in the second part of the grid, 10 cars fighting within one tenth [of a second], two tenths. Our pole position is P11, currently. Our win is P11 if nothing happens at the front, and the reliability of the guys at the front has been… extraordinary.”
Every grand prix so far this year has seen no fewer than 17 finishers, meaning at least seven driver in each have gone unrewarded. Mekies said it will make more sense for fans and viewers if the number of non-points-scoring finishers is cut.
“We think it’s a fantastic fight, we want to explain it to the fans. We want to explain it to our partners and we think that points will help to give value to that P11, which today for us is a victory. So for sure we are supportive of an extension of the point system.
“Whether you go to P12, to P14, to whatever, we can discuss. But I think where the level of competitiveness of the teams is so high nowadays that the fight in the midfield, the fight at the back will also deserve some points.”
Aston Martin team principal Mike Krack believes newcomers to the sport will accept a change to the points system.
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“We have a new fanbase also. We are not any more the purists that we were for these many years. So I think it is really time to have a look at this.”
After the first six rounds, F1’s top five teams have scored 656 points, while the remaining five have just 27. However Krack says F1 should not hastily rewrite its rules based on how competitive the teams are this year.
“We should obviously not be too much influenced by how it is this year, because next year can be different than the year after. I think it was a good consensus in the F1 Commission to say we want to make an adjustment, but we should not rush it, because we don’t want to change it again later.
“So I think it’s important that we have a good thought about it, and then we discuss some different…
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