Should we finally reexamine the F1 points system?

Since 2010, the FIA has revamped the F1 points system, extending points to the top ten and widening the gaps between positions, particularly for the winner. With dominant teams and drivers, does this win-focused structure still achieve its goal?

After the 2023 Mexican Grand Prix, Max Verstappen has a 251-point lead over his closest rival, Sergio Perez, which is greater than the difference between the second-place driver and the last-place driver in the championship. This disparity raises new questions about whether the points system, unchanged since 2010, still fulfills its original purpose of rewarding daring drivers rather than those who are content to play it safe.

When the FIA revised the scoring system for the 2010 season, the sport was emerging from a decade without a clear dominant force. Ferrari had dominated the early 2000s, Renault had won two consecutive titles in 2005 and 2006, Ferrari had regained the crown in 2007 and 2008, and Brawn GP had surprised everyone in 2009. The new format aimed to spread the rewards more widely, giving lower-ranked teams a realistic chance of scoring points.

The initial plan was for 13 participants, but only 12 cars lined up for the first race under the new rules. The most significant change was the extension of points-scoring places from eight to ten, replacing the 2009 system of 10-8-6-5-4-3-2-1. The previous allocation seemed modest considering a typical grid of 26 cars, and the narrow two-point gap between the podium places did little to encourage a fight for victory.

The revised system, still in use today (with the exception of sprint races), distributes points among the top ten finishers:

Beyond rewarding the top finishers, this distribution penalizes unreliability: a single retirement can cost 25 points, which significantly disrupts the title race. However, this structure, which once encouraged aggression, now seems to consolidate dominance. Since 2010, the sport has seen periods of clear supremacy: four consecutive years for Red Bull (2010-2013), eight years for Mercedes (2014-2021), and the resurgence of Red Bull from 2022 onwards. When one team is at the top of the hierarchy, its rivals struggle to catch up, and the points gap amplifies this effect. The leader enjoys a seven-point advantage over the runner-up, while the gap between second and third, or third and fourth, narrows to just three points. It is only in exceptionally close seasons, such as in 2016, when teammates Rosberg and Hamilton battled it out, or in 2021, with the Verstappen-Hamilton duel, that we have seen real battles on the track for victory. The current points system, by disproportionately rewarding the winner, reinforces the “immunity” of a dominant team. Reducing the gap between first and second could make victories less decisive and the championship more inclusive, a reform that many believe is necessary to prevent the sport from becoming an exclusive club reserved for the powers that be.