POINT-LESS DRIVER WARNS AGAINST TRYING TO ‘REINVENT THE WHEEL’ WITH NEW F1 SYSTEM

As F1 debates a new points-scoring system, Pierre Gasly says the sport doesn’t need to “reinvent the wheel”, instead those outside of the top ten need to “make a faster car”.

Formula 1 is, according to reports over the Chinese Grand Prix weekend, considering a new points-scoring system in which the top 12 would all score points.

Pierre Gasly: ‘Do a better job, I mean it’s as simple as that’

Today it is only the top ten but with three teams yet to get off the mark, there is a push to award points to the top 12 as that would separate them further and create more competitive action further down the field.

The number of points would remain as 25 to 1 but while the top seven finishers would stay the same, 25-18-15-12-10-8-6, the next six would be redistributed as 5-4-3-2-1 points.

According to PlanetF1.com’s maths, Haas would be the bigger winners with an extra 12 points while Mercedes and Aston Martin would have another five apiece and Williams would be off the mark with five.

Stake and Alpine would also have points, two each, but that doesn’t interest Gasly.

“What will be the reason behind it?” the Frenchman said when told of the proposal. “They’ve just got to do a better job, I mean it’s as simple as that. It has always been the same.

“For the last couple of years top 10, if you’re not in the top 10 you’ve just got to work out there and make a faster car.

“I’m happy with how it is. I don’t want to change too much, the way Formula One is is just great.

“Sometimes when you go to a great tool there’s no need to reinvent the wheel as we say, so yeah, I’m happy to keep it as it is.”

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‘Putting a plaster on a big cut’

But while his team-mate Esteban Ocon reckons it would “definitely work” as Alpine would be scoring points, he feels it is putting a “plaster on a big cut”.

He too believes getting into the top ten should be the goal.

“Well, it’s putting a plaster on a big cut, let’s call it like this,” said Ocon. “It’s a way of helping the current situation, I think.

“It would definitely work because we would have been scoring points today. But I would prefer to be able to race at the front and to have every team closer.

“I think it is fair to say that it is a small gain on what we are trying to do: making all the cars closer.”

Valtteri Bottas, whose Kick-Sauber team would be on two points today, agrees.

“At the moment, where we are as a team, yes,” he said of supporting the change. “But if you’re in a top three, top four team, then you don’t mind. That’s how it goes. But for us, yeah.

“To be fair for everybody, I think the more points positions there are, even in the Sprint, I think it’s better. It creates even more competition.”

2024-04-25T10:54:36Z dg43tfdfdgfd