Plans to extend the points-scoring positions in Formula 1 to cover the top 12 have been rejected by F1 Commission.
However the commission approved other changes for upcoming seasons, including an increase in the minimum weight limit for 2025 and a significant increase in testing when new regulations arrive in 2026.
The FIA confirmed the commission agreed unanimously not to extend the points system to cover two more places beyond the current 10. The proposal would have left points for the top seven finishing positions unchanged, then given five points for eighth down to one for 12th.
F1’s points system was last extended in 2010, prior to which it covered the top eight. Until 2002 only the top six finishers scored points.
The commission approved an increase in the minimum weight limit from 798kg to 800kg next year. This is being done to allow the minimum weight for drivers to rise from 80kg to 82kg. This is the first time the allowance for drivers has been increased since its introduction five years ago.
However the increase in minimum weight goes against the FIA’s aim of making cars lighter. It intends to reduce the minimum weight limit to 768kg in 2026, a target some teams have warned is unrealistic.
The commission also agreed a significant expansion in testing for the 2026 season, when F1 will introduce new power units and major changes to its aerodynamic rules. Teams will have nine days of testing split across three separate tests, compared to just one three-day test this year.
The decisions require the approval of the World Motor Sport Council in order to become official.
The first draft of the 2026 technical regulations was published last month. An extraordinary meeting of the F1 Commission will take place on October 2nd to discuss issues surrounding the rules, after which an update on the sporting and technical regulations for the new season will be presented to the World Motor Sport Council on October 17th.
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Formula 1
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