F1 points system under fire as Norris DNF hands Piastri the title – Formula One throughout the ages has evolved both its technical and sporting regulations on a regular basis and with huge regulation changes coming on both fronts for 2026, there’s some nervousness over whether one team will ace the conundrum set, whilst others lag seconds a lap behind.
With Lando Norris’ underserved DNF in the recent Dutch Grand Prix and in that moment the drivers’ title pretty much handed to his team mate, another of F1’s rules is again under security. There is an annual debate which takes place at the F1 commission over the allocation of points in the sport, the lates taking place earlier this year.
Since the last big change in the F1 points system made for 2010 much of the focus around this debate has been to reward teams finishing below tenth position who currently go home empty handed. The benefit of such a system it is argued would see even harder fought racing given ever place gained is an additional benefit and it prevents one of the lower teams ‘lucking in’ with a big points haul in just one race of the year and leapfrogging their more consistent rivals.
Alpine scored half their 2024 points in one race
Alpine are a case in point where in a rain soaked Sau Paulo Grand Prix in 2024, both drivers lucked in to a red flag issued by race control. They had hung on with ageing tyres for a safety car, but the red flag meant their second and third places were locked in. The team claimed a massive haul of 33 points for their drivers endeavours, yet in just one of the twenty four race weekends, this was more than half of their total for the season (65).
Were all drivers to score points for each Grand Prix, the exact position of each drivers effort Ould be reflected accurately throughout the season.
With the field set to expand to eleven teams next season as Cadillac joins, this means more than half the grid will go hime empty handed after a weekend of strenuous effort.
Yet the discussion about revising the points system barely references a problem which the sport now faces, being the disproportionate amount of points awarded to the winner of the Grand Prix. In its previous iteration in 2009, the victor received ten points and the runner up received eight, so there was a 20% premium on taking the chequered flag first.
Big weighting for F1 wins
This reward is almost double that amount now, with seven points extra for first over second place. That’s a 38% premium afforded to the race winner and with McLaren having a dominant season, the opportunity for Norris to catch up is incredibly small. Modern reliability mens it unlikely that Piastri will suffer the same DNF due to reliability issues across the next nine race weekends, meanwhile if McLaren continue their 1-2 streaks, it would take the Brit five consecutive race wins to move one point ahead of his team mate (assuming Piastri is 2nd).
Whilst it seems like a counter intuitive argument to reduce the points for a win to aid Norris plight, fourteen of the third four points lead are due to Pasitri’s extra two victories over his team mate. This would be significantly less had the premium for winning races been back at 20%. Further, awarding a points finish below tenth place would see the exact
IndyCar continues with a system which awards 20% more points for a race win and even the drivers at the tail of the field receive five points for their efforts, 10% of that of the race winner. Between 2005 and 2022 the title was decided each year at the final round of the championship, something rarely seen in Formula One.
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FIA stuck in its ways
Of course Lando Norris plight is not merely because his team mate has won two more races and has a 34 point lead, but in a season where the papaya team is so dominant, few other drivers are likely to take points away from the Australian. Further Lando’s DNF (self inflicted) in Canada reflects 10 of the current 34 points deficit but the 18 he lost through no fault of his own in Zandvoort is the biggest contributor.
Whether the FIA will revise the substantial premium in points for first place over second is unlikely, even its the formula they use for their other international racing series. Yet the debate will return before the start of next season given currently 12 drivers each Grand Prix will go home empty handed.
Since its inception F1 has rewarded the top five drivers better then the rest for their achievement, as in the first decade since its inception in 1950, just the top five in fields of up to thirty cars would score on Sunday. Given the standardisation of the points awarded in F1, F2, F3 and the World Endurance Series, its difficult to see how they will be persuaded its time to take a different view.
Schumacher turns down lucrative Cadillac offer
Mick Schumacher’s path back into Formula One has once again shifted. The German driver, who has been pushing for a return to the premier category, was reportedly presented with a lucrative offer from Cadillac as the American manufacturer prepares to enter the grid. Yet despite the financial incentives and the possibility of combining Formula One duties with a leading role in endurance racing, Schumacher is said to have declined the opportunity. Instead, his focus remains firmly on securing a full-time seat in the sport rather than serving once again as a reserve.
Reports suggest that Cadillac was keen to bring the 26 year old into its new Formula One project, a team that has already secured the services of experienced campaigners Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez. Schumacher, who previously competed for Haas and has spent recent years as a reserve at Mercedes while building his profile in the World Endurance Championship with Alpine, was offered the chance to step back into the Formula One paddock. The proposal involved a reserve driver role with Cadillac, coupled with a programme in its World Endurance Championship entry. The package, according to those close to discussions, included a significant increase in salary compared to his current Alpine contract…. READ MORE
A.J. Hunt is Senior Editor at TJ13, where Andrew oversees editorial standards and contributes to the site’s Formula 1 coverage. A career journalist with experience in both print and digital sports media, Andrew trained in investigative journalism and has written for a range of European sports outlets.
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I agree about the points. Even sillier though are 2 other rules that defy common sense and falsify results : free tyre change with a red flag ? Why ? and lapped cars delaying themselves behind a safety car, which often adds 2+ laps to the safety car period. Again, why ?
The free tyre change is “for safety” and although it feels wrong, it’s sort of the same with (virtual) safety cars: people will get lucky or unlucky. Doesn’t feel right but I can’t think of an honest way of dealing with this without some people getting lucky and other not. What would be your idea?
The lapped cars thing is sort of the same. If it makes us miss a battle because Colapinto is between Norris and Piastri fans will scream about it, so that’s a valid reason. Time wise you’d like to let the not lapped cars overtake the lapped cars to put everyone in order but there’s a lot of consequences with that -> fuel consumption, tyres etc etc
So it’s not perfect, takes too much time but I see no alternatives