Ever thought what an F1 season would look like if the points system was different? Well, look no further as a new series will explore different seasons of racing where the points system was different and if so, what effect would it have on the championship?
14th April 2020
Formula One has undergone throughout it's 70 year span a history of different points systems. So what would happen if you took one season of racing and changed the points system? I thought of this idea a few days ago and then I remembered F1 pundits saying that if the points system was different in 2008, Felipe Massa would have become champion instead of Lewis Hamilton. Imagine the scenes at the final race of the season in Brazil where local hero, Massa, becomes the first Brazilian since Ayrton Senna in 1991 to win the championship.
In the first in the series, I give one of my favourite seasons, 2003, the current points system in use today to see if things are different.
Formula One 2003
In 2003, the points system had just been changed. For 2003, the eight classified finishers were now to be given 10–8–6–5–4–3–2–1. For this, the current points system that has been in place since 2010 for the top ten finishers: 25-18-15-12-10-8-6-4-2-1 will be implemented.
So the answer is? No. Michael Schumacher still takes the title and becomes a six time world champion.
Schumacher beats Kimi Raikkonen to the title by 23 points instead of two. Ferrari also retain their title by beating Williams by 32 points instead of 14.
There's no big differences in the way the drivers finishing compared to the original points system although:
Giancarlo Fisichella and Cristiano da Matta switch places for 12th and 13th (the difference being a point) in favour of da Matta.
Jacques Villeneuve and Oliver Panis switch places for 15th and 16th (two points the difference) in favour of Villeneuve.
Antonio Pizzonia and Justin Wilson switch places for 20th and 21st (a point the difference) in favour of Pizzonia.