A decision on the proposed revamped points system in Formula 1 has been postponed after the latest meeting of the F1 Commission.
The panel, consisting of the Commercial Rights Holder, the FIA, and the 10 teams, convened to deliberate on plans to refresh the points system by awarding points to the top 12 finishers.
The proposal required support from at least five of the current teams to proceed to the World Motor Sport Council for final approval. However, the Commission failed to reach a conclusive decision during the meeting.
The final verdict on the proposed changes has been deferred to the next Commission gathering scheduled for July, just before the summer break. This delay allows for additional scrutiny and analysis of the proposals before a definitive conclusion is reached.
The rationale behind the proposed changes stems from concerns that smaller teams struggle to compete for points, with larger teams like Red Bull, Ferrari, McLaren, Mercedes, and Aston Martin typically dominating the points standings in each race weekend.
As of the first five rounds of the 2024 season, Red Bull has accumulated seven points, Haas five, while Williams, Alpine, and Stake have yet to score.
In other developments from the Commission meeting, Formula One Management (FOM) is set to propose dates for pre-season testing in 2025. Additionally, rear-facing cameras will be mandated on cars starting from the Spanish Grand Prix to enhance safety measures.
Furthermore, minor adjustments to Sporting and Financial Regulations received approval during the meeting.
When asked about the proposed changes, Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies expressed strong support, stating, “We think it’s fundamentally correct to do that.
“There are no back markers anymore. You have 10 very strong teams, with the five at the front flying, and you have six OEMs plus Red Bull Racing, so that’s seven top teams, if you want to call them that.
“Then you have a mega-fight every race weekend in the bottom half of the grid between these other five teams, including OEMs.
“So for us, pole position is P11. A race win is P11 because the reliability of the cars is fantastic. The top five teams are finishing pretty much every race.”
Meanwhile, Christian Horner, the head of Red Bull Racing, expressed his indifference towards the proposed changes, stating that he was ‘ambivalent’ about them.
“It’s one of those things where you just have to run the numbers and look at the analytics and ask ‘What would it change?’,” he stated. “So I’m impartial to it. Unless, of course, you’re paying points money.”
