The verdict from the first five races is clear: the gap between the leading teams, namely Red Bull, Scuderia Ferrari, McLaren, Mercedes, and Aston Martin, compared to the midfield/backmarker teams is significant and is likely to widen over the course of the Formula 1 season. Taking the Japanese Grand Prix at the Suzuka circuit, for example, the first non-lapped finisher was Lewis Hamilton, who crossed the line in ninth place, 48 seconds behind the leader, Max Verstappen.
Following him were all the others, with Yuki Tsunoda, despite scoring points, still finishing the race one lap down on the winner. For this reason, Formula 1 is considering extending the points-scoring zone to the top twelve finishers, allowing even the smaller teams to compete for points.
Various team principals have spoken out on the matter, including Frédéric Vasseur, who expressed his support for the proposal: “I’m absolutely not against it. Coming from Alfa Romeo, I understand perfectly the frustration that is sometimes felt when you have a mega weekend and maybe, if there’s no retirement ahead of you, you finish 11th.” – the Ferrari team boss pointed out.
“In that case, the reward for your hard work is zero. Whether you finish the race 11th or last is the same, and I can understand the frustration that comes from that. Some might say that it would be the same for whoever finishes thirteenth. It’s something to define, but I’m not against it.” – the French manager added.
Former Ferrari technical director Laurent Mekies, who is currently the team principal of the RB Formula One Team, also commented on the issue, stating, “It’s almost impossible to explain to partners that we’re fighting for the eleventh position without doing anything. Considering the reliability of the cars, we usually don’t get into the points. I don’t think it’s a good thing.”
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Finally, Ayao Komatsu, the new team principal of Haas, also came out in favor, saying, “What would be the negative aspect? Right now, we have teams with no points, and I don’t think that’s positive for the sport. If there are points for P11 and P12, there are fewer chances for teams not to score points. Furthermore, it makes everything clearer for the fans and motivates the teams.” – he concluded.
Source: f1ingenerale
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