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The new rules and penalty system for the latest engines have become absurdly complex, to the point where even casual fans find it difficult to understand the starting grid for a Grand Prix.
McLaren-Honda, Red Bull-Renault, Lotus-Mercedes, and several other teams have faced performance and reliability issues since the start of the season, and they have also had to contend with an increasing number of penalties for engine or gearbox changes.
The rules have always stipulated that drivers and teams exceeding the allocated number of mechanical components would receive penalties. These same rules also allow penalties to accumulate, which this year has resulted in drops of 20, 30, and even 55 places on a grid that only has 20 cars. It's hard to take this seriously.
As a result, some teams, notably McLaren, are now basing their strategies on the penalty system. The British team, for example, chooses the circuits where it feels weakest and takes advantage of these events to introduce major mechanical improvements, even if this means a significant loss of places on the starting grid, which could hurt it on circuits where the MP4-30 is supposed to perform well.
It is becoming clear that the current penalty system is reaching its limits. After all, depending on the circumstances of the race and the driver-car combination, it is not uncommon for a competitor to score points after starting at the back of the grid, as Daniel Ricciardo and Daniil Kvyat demonstrated at the recent Italian Grand Prix.
Instead of imposing penalties on the starting grid, why not impose a time handicap that would be added to the final race result? This would force drivers to build up a sufficient lead over their rivals to compensate for a penalty of 10, 15, or 20 seconds, depending on the severity of the offense.
A scale could be developed based on the number of powertrain and gearbox components replaced, and the driver's time penalty would be displayed in real time on the race screen. Such a system would make the standings clearer and probably make the races more exciting, as penalized drivers would have to push harder, as Lewis Hamilton did at Monza, who feared a time penalty after the race for a technical infringement. It's an idea worth exploring, although many other solutions are also possible.
