RacingNews365's view on F1's proposed new points system

For the first time since 2010, Formula 1 could utilise a new points system with plans set to be discussed by the F1 Commission.

The idea is for the top 12 to receive points instead of the current top 10 to reflect the increasing reliability and stranglehold of the top five teams at the head of the field.

Across the first five races, the bottom five teams have scored 12 points compared to 534 from the big five, with Williams, Alpine and Stake yet to get off the mark.

With the proposals, the RacingNews365 team has got together to offer their opinions - and be sure to add your own by voting in the poll at the bottom of this article and in the comments!

Ian Parkes - I agree with KMag

It was Kevin Magnussen who suggested to RacingNews365 in the media pen post-Chinese Grand Prix that F1 should follow an IndyCar-style system and award points for all the finishers.

This would likely be anathema to F1's elitist ethics, and to some extent, I can see their point. In all honesty, however, it would not make too much of a difference if Magnussen's suggestion was implemented for F1.

Ideally, for the first six cars to take the chequered flag, the current points plan would be doubled, so a run of 50, 36, 30, 24, 20, and 16. From seventh place on, the points would run from 14 to one.

That would ensure that the frontrunners, the primary title contenders, are still scoring the major points on offer associated with the current system.

For the minor positions from seventh on, and particularly for those five teams seeking a form of redress through the F1 Commission, there is a degree of reward for the effort they are putting in, and the multi-millions of dollars being spent on trying to compete.

At the end of the day, if you are the worst team on the grid, it is still going to be reflected in whatever paltry points total you finish with at the end of a season.

Jake Nichol - This is not a school sports day

A little peak behind the scenes, when the team were discussing their initial thoughts, I simply messaged: "It's terrible."

This is Formula 1, the so-called pinnacle of motorsports and the only annual sporting championship in the world that can accurately claim to be a "world championship."

It is supposed to be hard to score points and earn your just rewards.

It is not a school sports day where 'everyone gets a prize for taking part.'

This proposal suggests points should go to 12th place, although some have argued that all finishers should receive points.

If the latter is implemented, it does away with the concept of 'nil points'. There has to be the threat of a big fat zero in your column, otherwise, we would have had a situation in 2021 where the no-hoper Haas would simply be at the back and pick up the odd point, rewarding failure and mediocrity.

Formula 1 is supposed to be hard - and if you want a points finish, go and earn it, and if you are not in a position to score any points, then tough. Do a better job!

Fergal Walsh - Why stop at 12th?

Let's cast our minds back to the Chinese Grand Prix last weekend and the fantastic scrap that took place between Lance Stroll and Kevin Magnussen during the race.

It was an edge-of-your-seat battle, but the shine was taken off it due to it being for 16th place - it was great racing, sure, but beyond the pride of the drivers sitting behind the wheel, did anyone really care who came out on top?

Implementing points for every position would make each battle up and down the grid much more important. It would increase the competition and generate more incentive to get excited about the fights that occur at the lower end of the field.

With the bottom half of the pecking order being as close as it currently is, it would boost the weekend-to-weekend showcase and throw the constructors' championship into a much more competitive environment.

Like clockwork, a host of F1 fans will form to scoff at the idea of change being implemented in their precious sport, and while I can understand pushback over how it will skew the all-time point-scoring statistics, the shift has already happened with an ever-increasing calendar and the 2010 point-scoring revamp.

So forget handing out points to the top 12 drivers - give them to every driver that sees the chequered flag!

Nick Golding - Points are not a guarantee

There is no doubting that F1 currently finds itself with an A league and a B league. Clearly, there are five teams who simply cannot compete on a regular basis with the leading outfits.

Because of this, only the smallest of points have been available for the lower sides, with Haas so far being the team making the most of every opportunity.

Based on the current point format, I would not be surprised if more than one team finishes the season without a point. But is this a reason to introduce a completely new system?

There are two ways of looking at it: firstly, it would result in the lower teams fighting for points on a regular basis, which in itself could result in more hard racing being on display.

On the flip side, points should never be a guarantee and should be worked tirelessly for, it is F1 after all!

Personally, changing the point system should not happen, scoring points should always be a privilege achieved through hard work and occasionally luck, it should not be a guarantee.

Samuel Coop - A knee-jerk solution?

It’s a tough one, because on the one hand, it’s perhaps knee-jerk to solutionise what is a very recent and specific problem - one that may not be an issue come 2026. How often does F1 have two distinct classes, with one conveniently occupying all 10 points paying positions?

However, on the other, it would give that second group something to fight for week-in-week out and allow them to be the ‘masters of their own destiny’, so to speak, by not having to rely on retirements.

But also, what happens if next year one of the bottom five has joined the top teams and we’re in the same mess all over again?

Funnily enough, I used to long for a return to only the top six getting points, but that is just not practical in modern day F1. You would need reliability to seriously regress, and that is not going to happen.

When that system was in place, you would routinely see between a third and half the field fail to finish. Now, even 20 percent of the cars retiring seems a lot, so it is somewhat disingenuous to suggest that extending the points position to the top 12 is just handing out prizes. If points ran all the way to P20, then fair point, but that is not being suggested at this stage.

If I had to lean one way or the other, I'm edging slightly towards leaving things as they are - but barely.