Martin Brundle, David Croft, Bernie Collins, Damon Hill and Anthony Davidson discuss whether F1 should change its points system and add more Sprint weekends; watch this weekend's Miami GP on Sky Sports F1, with first competitive action coming in Sprint Qualifying at 9.30pm on Friday
Tuesday 30 April 2024 14:58, UK
With debates brewing over more world championship points and more Sprint weekends in Formula 1, the Sky Sports F1 team have their say on the possible rule changes.
At last week's F1 Commission meeting, the sport's bosses and teams discussed the idea of lowering the final point-scoring position from 10th to 12th.
With there currently being a clear gap between the top five of Red Bull, Ferrari, McLaren, Mercedes and Aston Martin, the bottom five teams are finding it extremely difficult to score points.
RB have seven points and Haas have five, but Williams, Alpine and Sauber have yet to claim any, with the scoreless trio's position in the standings dictated by their highest non-point scoring finishes.
With the top 10 expected to be frozen out by the leading five teams more often than not, the thinking is that adding points for 11th and 12th would provide separation at the bottom of the constructors' standings.
Despite there not being points on offer, there is often highly entertaining racing for the positions outside of the top 10 throughout races, which would be given more meaning by a change.
However, traditionalists might argue that the value of points is being decreased, with their availability gradually increasing from when only the top six finishers would score back in 2002.
There is also an argument that the change would be something of a knee-jerk reaction, given there is expected to be a major reset to the pecking order when new regulations are introduced in 2026.
Martin Brundle - NO: "I think we would be at risk of losing that jeopardy, the desperation we've seen over the decades to get into the points. I come from a time when it was the top six, so to score a point, like I did on my debut, it's just incredible. It's just something to aspire to. We ended up with 39 cars, so to score a point was something quite incredible.
"If we keep expanding the points system, I just think where does it end? We make it down to 12, then to 15, then let's give everyone points, so that the manufacturer or a team or a sponsor can feel satisfied. Will they still feel satisfied if it's easy? The teams get ranked on 11th and 12th anyway, they just don't get points for them. So, I'm absolutely against adding any points to it at all."
David Croft - YES: "I don't think giving points to 11th and 12th goes far enough. I'd like to see points down to 20th if you finish. A few people have contacted me on social media saying, 'it's like modern-day school. Turn up for the egg and spoon, you get a prize!' No, it's a very simple way to explain why a driver is in a certain position in the championship, rather than because he has two 13th places and a 14th, and the other guy has had one 13th and two 14ths.
"No, just have the points and then you reward consistency over the season, in terms of finishing, which is a big part of F1. You explain it easier for the fans, you get better battles because points are at stake, and if you do have a DNF, it counts against you more."
Damon Hill - YES: "I think Crofty was right about points going all the way to the back provided you finish. This gives extra motivation to drivers at least. So maybe it should go down to 19th, with last as the wooden spoon.
"Prize money is dished out for the constructors even if you come last, so points are almost beside the point! So I'm in favour of the idea. But we must remember the changes when we compare drivers' records, and weigh it considering the points system of the time. Otherwise Jim Clark was an also ran."
Bernie Collins - NO: "I don't think we should add more points because at the minute, teams are already rewarded if two or three teams don't score points in their finishing position, so it doesn't affect their championship finishing position.
"It also means the fight for their final positions on the grid are quite hard-fought, with big risk/reward for the final five teams that aren't as quick as the first five. I would leave the points as they are. Even though more cars finish, it makes it more important and it's more celebrated when someone does get a point, like a few years ago when Williams got their first point of the season."
Anthony Davidson - YES: "I'm not in favour of simply adding more points from the top down but I've always thought there was merit to rewarding drivers' hard work in un-competitive cars with more points lower down the field.
"The only problem is that it further skews the comparison of previous drivers' and teams' achievements from the past."
Another topic sure to be picked up in the paddock at the Miami Grand Prix is the possibility of adding more Sprint weekends in 2025.
F1 appears to have finally found a format for the weekends that teams and drivers are pleased with, with rejigged running order having enabled the introduction of two separate parc ferme periods.
This gives engineers the chance to make setup changes after the Sprint events, not rendering them irrelevant for much of the weekend in the way that the previous format did.
There are six Sprints on the 2024 calendar, but with the additional competitive sessions providing a better spectacle, F1 president Stefano Domenicali has admitted he is interested in adding more.
Martin Brundle - YES: "I would like more Sprints. You can't have Sprints at every race, but I would like more because as a spectator on the weekend, for China, there was something significant happening every day.
"I think it works, not everywhere, but it works. So, why not? I just think this format works and Sprint sessions will always be better than the practice sessions they replace. Not every weekend, not everywhere, but I'd want more rather than less."
Damon Hill - YES: "I liked the new format in China. It's a yes to more Sprints. But I think they should bring back the morning warm-up too. That would give Sunday more zest and jeopardy, and offer something extra for the diehard fans who get to the track or turn on their televisions early."
David Croft - YES: "If you're going to have more Sprint races, have a Sprint world championship. Don't make it part of the Grand Prix championship for me, but I've said that for quite a while."
Bernie Collins - UNSURE: "We have only had one of these new formats of the Sprint but I think it's been quite successful because it leaves normal qualifying and the race as it is, which suits a lot of people in terms of viewing on a Saturday afternoon and a Sunday afternoon.
"Therefore I would be open to adding more Sprints because it means teams go into at least the first Sprint Qualy and first Sprint with pretty low information, so that's more exciting than a P2 and P3. But, we have only seen one race weekend of that in China, which was unusual anyway with it being back on the calendar."
Anthony Davidson - YES: "Now that the format of Sprint weekends has been changed, I'm more in favour of seeing more of them, as I feel it's still in keeping with the spirit of F1.
"The format gives engineers enough time to work with set up/development over the course of a weekend and also gives fans more competitive sessions to watch."
Thursday May 2
6.30pm: Drivers' press conference
Friday May 3
3pm: F1 Academy Practice 1
5pm: Miami GP Practice One (session starts at 5.30pm)
8.20pm: F1 Academy Practice 2
9pm: Miami GP Sprint Qualifying (session starts at 9:30pm)
Saturday May 4
3.25pm: F1 Academy Qualifying
4pm: Miami GP Sprint (race starts at 5pm)
6.30pm: Ted's Sprint Notebook
7.05pm: F1 Academy Race 1
8pm: Miami GP Qualifying build-up
9pm: Miami GP Qualifying
11pm: Ted's Qualifying Notebook
Sunday May 5
6.05pm: F1 Academy Race 2
7.30pm: Grand Prix Sunday Miami GP build-up
9pm: The MIAMI GRAND PRIX
11pm: Chequered Flag: Miami GP reaction
Midnight: Ted's Notebook
Swap the early alarms for prime-time evening viewing on Sky Sports F1 as Formula 1 next makes its first of three visits to the USA in 2024, with the Miami GP this weekend. Steam every F1 race and more with a NOW Sports Month Membership - No contract, cancel anytime
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