Formula One is unlikely to go ahead with a proposal to extend points beyond 10th place from next year. FIA race director Charlie Whiting said teams had not agreed on how a revised system would work. Unanimous agreement between the teams is needed to approve a change for next season.
“It’s been discussed.” – said Charlie Whiting – “It’s not like a 2021 rule it’s something that if everyone had agreed to we would look at introducing it for 2019 but there wasn’t agreement on that.”
A sticking point in the discussions has been how large the gaps between points for each position should be, particularly between the lower places. Currently 10th place is worth one point. If a point was given for 15th then 10th would have to be worth at least six. However some team bosses argued the existing one-point gaps would also need to be increased.
“I think a one-point gap is not enough in my opinion,” said Haas team principal Guenther Steiner. “Because between seventh and eighth, it’s a one point gap, between being 15th and 14th is a one-point gap, I think that’s not the right proportion. I think there needs to be a little more investigation.”
Extending points beyond 10th place and increasing the existing points gaps would mean the value of a win, which was increased from 10 points to 25 eight years ago, would have to rise significantly again. F1 motorsport director Ross Brawn said in August that any change to the points system would need to be one which would stay in place for the long-term: “It’s a big decision to change it,” he said. “If we change it, it needs to be left alone for 10 years, we don’t want to keep messing with it.”
F1 last changed its points system in 2015 when the double-points final round, which had been introduced the previous year, was dropped.
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