Important day for the future of F1: Will there be a new points system?
On Thursday, the F1 Commission will hold an important meeting in which more will become clear about the points system from 2025. This is because the teams, F1 and FIA will vote on a new points system for 2025.
Last week, it became clear that F1 is considering introducing a new points system in 2025. The smaller teams are reportedly lobbying for this. Indeed, in the eyes of those teams, the difference in points between the big and small teams is not good for the sport. Distributing more points should remedy that.
The new points system for F1 in 2025
Very little would change in the new points system. Instead of 10, 12 drivers will get points at the end of the race. The points for the first seven drivers will remain the same. It will only look different from 8th onwards. It then runs as follows: 5,4,3,2,1. So that the complete top 12 can earn points.
This way, little changes at the top, but smaller teams can score points more easily. Those teams would now mainly point to the big gap between the top teams and the smaller teams, with the latter often fighting for spots that do not earn points. Increasing the number of point positions should solve that problem.
After four races in 2024, three teams have yet to score a single point in this Formula 1 season. Williams, Stake and Alpine are all still at zero points. Visa Cash App RB and Haas also only came to seven and four points respectively. The gap to the top five is thus immense.
Position | Points in 2024 | Points in 2025 |
1 | 25 | 25 |
2 | 18 | 18 |
3 | 15 | 15 |
4 | 12 | 12 |
5 | 10 | 10 |
6 | 8 | 8 |
7 | 6 | 6 |
8 | 4 | 5 |
9 | 2 | 4 |
10 | 1 | 3 |
11 | 0 | 2 |
12 | 0 | 1 |
Fastest race lap | 1 (top 10) | 1 (top 12) |
How do the top teams feel about it?
"I'm sort of ambivalent to it. I think that you can see it's very competitive. It feels like, there's two groups in Formula One at the moment, and the teams from six to ten are in as hard a fight as one to five," Christian Horner said after the Chinese GP.
Ferrari does already seem certain to agree to a changed points system. "I am in favour, not against," Vasseur said in the paddock at the Shanghai International Circuit. "And coming from Alfa Romeo, I perfectly understand that sometimes the frustration that sometimes you are doing a mega weekend. If there is no DNF in front of you, you finish P11 and the reward is zero."
"You can finish P11 or P20, it's the same. And I can understand the frustration for this. Now, if you do this, and next year you have six teams in front, you will say it's the same for P13, but you have to pay attention. I’m not against it," said the French team boss of the Maranello-based team.
When will there be clarity on the new points system?
There will be a new F1 Commission on Thursday 25 April. This meeting between F1, FIA and F1 teams will include a vote for this new proposal.