F1 News: FIA Reveal New Points System Ahead of 2023 Season

The world of F1 racing will see a shake-up in the way points are awarded for shortened races. This change comes on the heels of the 2022 Japanese Grand Prix, where heavy rain led to a delay in the start of the race and ultimately resulted in a shortened event. This caused confusion and debate amongst teams and fans regarding whether Max Verstappen had truly secured his second championship win or not.

Previously, the rules for shortened races were established after the 2021 Belgian Grand Prix. Under these rules, if a race was less than 25% of its intended distance, the winner would be awarded 6 points, 13 points for less than 50% distance, and 19 points for less than 75% distance. However, at the 2022 Japanese Grand Prix, many believed Verstappen should have received 19 points for his shortened race win. Instead, the FIA awarded him the full 25 points, as the race had slightly exceeded the 75% mark.

In light of this confusion, FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem has announced that a new system for awarding points in shortened races will be implemented. The new system will be developed by the FIA’s new sports director, Steve Nielson.

Mohammed Ben Sulayem explained during an interview with Motorsport.com:

“Yes, it’s changing. Coming to the points: who chose that? The teams. Who approved them? The teams. We just had to implement them. And who takes the blame? Us. Honestly. Where is the fairness? Tell me. This frustrates [me].”

This new points system for shortened races is sure to bring much-needed clarity and fairness to the sport of Formula One racing, and fans and teams alike eagerly await its implementation.