F1 set to award more points for top finishers provided they finish in the top 12
Formula 1 is considering a tweak to the way it awards points during races, which would see the top finishers earn points for positions beyond the current tenth-place cutoff. The sport has rarely altered the precise method it uses to award points since a major shake-up in 2010, when the top prize was increased to a maximum of 25 points for a win.
Under the proposed new system, F1 would increase the number of finishing positions awarded points from the current 10 to 12. Here's how it would affect the drivers and teams championships.
The proposal, which is yet to be officially confirmed, would see the point-scoring places extended to 12th place, with the effect of rewarding more drivers for achieving regular top-10 finishes. It would also ensure that no fewer than 12 drivers score points in any given race. The plan would mean points would be awarded to those who finish in positions 13th through 20th, but they would still finish outside the points-paying positions.
The proposed new system and its effects on the current standings are below: Drivers' championship: PositionDriverCurrent pointsProjected points1Max Verstappen1101102Sergio Perez85853Charles Leclerc767764Carlos Sainz Jr6996Lando Norris58559Oscar Piastri383George Russell333Fernando Alonso34332Lewis Hamilton19235Lance Stroll9099Yuki Tsunoda8210Lando Norris5855Oscar Piastri3836George Russell3338Lewis Hamilton19257Lance Stroll9088Yuki Tsunoda7179Oliver Bearman6708Nico Hulkenberg432Kevin Magnussen1211Alexander Albon032Esteban Ocon0203Zhou Guanyu0212Daniel Ricciardo01Pierre Gasly0213Valtteri Bottas02Logan Sargeant02
Constructors' championship: PositionTeamCurrent pointsProjected points1Red Bull19519522Ferrari15115133McLaren9610044Mercedes5260595Aston Martin4064616RB7Haas171217Haas5218Williams0505Alpine0202
Extended point-scoring places would have the greatest effect on the midfield battles. Over the past five seasons, the top six teams have scored the vast majority of points. Valtteri Bottas's victory for Alfa Romeo in the 2022 Hungarian Grand Prix was the only win by a driver outside the top six teams in that period.
In the 2022 constructors' championship, Williams, Aston Martin, and Haas were tied on 86 points after the first five races of the season, fighting for fifth place and a lucrative revenue stream that comes with it.
To resolve the battle, the teams and their riders will have to be consistent and score points in most of the remaining races. The new scoring system would award a point to drivers who finish between 13th and 20th, providing a small reward for drivers who might otherwise have retired.
This would make it easier for teams battling for points in the mid-d peloton to accumulate points and potentially move up the standings.
The proposed new system would have changed the constructors' standings after the first five races of the 2022 season as follows: PositionTeamPointsWilliams311Aston Martin311Haas312Mercedes58McLaren94Alpine123Ferrari15
This would be a relatively minor change and would not affect the outcome of any drivers' championship battles since the current points system was introduced in 2010.
It would slightly increase the number of points awarded in a season from 2,664 to 2,856, with the FIA, the sport's governing body, the real winners from this change.
The FIA takes a share of the entry and superlicence fees paid by teams and drivers, and the increase would see its income rise by more than 7%.