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?
22th 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?
Last time out, I looked at the 2003 F1 Season but with today's current points system and found out that Michael Schumacher still remained champion and in that became a six time champion. The only big differences I found out was that some drivers switched places. These places happened outside the top ten and the difference was a mere one or two points.
Today, I look at the incredibly close and unpredictable championship that was 2012. It was a great season of racing and I remember loads about it. But the fact that you had seven world champions on the grid and in the first seven races, you had seven different race winners from five different teams, was the fact that back in 2012, you just could not predict the next race.
Formula One 2012
In 2012, the points system allows the top ten drivers to score points. They are given 25-18-15-12-10-8-6-4-2-1. But for today's switch, the old points system, used in F1 between 2003 and 2009, will be implemented. The eight classified finishers are now to be given 10–8–6–5–4–3–2–1.
So the answer is? No. Sebastian Vettel still takes the title and becomes a three times world champion.
Vettel narrowly beats Fernando Alonso by one point instead of three. Red Bull also retain their title by beating Ferrari by 25 points instead of 60.
Using this system, only two drivers (Vettel and Alonso) score over 100 points whereas seven drivers score over more than 100 points if you don't use this system.
In the Teams Championship, four teams (Red Bull, Ferrari, McLaren and Lotus) score over 100 points whereas seven teams score over 100 points if you don't use this system.
This table does not represent the championship leader at every race but it represents the points difference between Vettel and Alonso over the course of the season. Alonso's biggest lead over Vettel at one given time is 17 points while his biggest over his nearest rival is 40 points which is Mark Webber after the Hungarian GP under the current points system.
There's quite a few difference in how the some drivers finish.
Lewis Hamilton and McLaren team-mate Jenson Button switch places for 4th and 5th with Button beating Hamilton by two points whereas it's the other way around without swapping the points systems.
Kaumi Kobayashi and Nico Hulkenberg switch places for 11th and 12th in favour of Kobayashi. The gap remains three points despite which points system you use.
Pastor Maldonado and Paul di Resta switch places for 14th and 15th in Maldonado's favour. The gap remains one point despite which points system you use.
The biggest loser by using this system is Daniel Ricciardo. In his first year with Toro Rosso, he fails to score points under this system. All of his points that he scored is where he placed in either 9th or 10th and this system only allows the top eight finishers to score.
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