NOVEMBER 16, 2012

Twelve points on you licence and out in F1?

The FIA is to discuss a new Superlicence penalty points system with F1 teams in Brazil next week. The system would operate in a similar way to the road system in the UK, with drivers who commit offences facing grid penalties or missed races under a totting up procedure.

By Tony Dodgins (@TonyDodgins)

The FIA is to discuss a new Superlicence penalty points system with F1 teams in Brazil next week. The system would operate in a similar way to the road system in the UK, with drivers who commit offences facing grid penalties or missed races under a totting up procedure.

FIA race director Charlie Whiting explained: "We would like to see a system similar to the road licence where if you get 12 points or whatever on your F1 superlicence, then you have a race off. At the moment we've got a system where you can face a penalty if you get three reprimands, but two of them have to be for driving infringements.

"Under the new system there would be points for all types of infringements. At the moment, a reprimand for being late for a press conference or a drivers' parade wouldn't lead to a 10-place grid penalty or ban, it has to be for driving infringements, whereas if you took the superlicence type of approach, they would all count. That's something we'd like to see but, like lots of things in F1, it's probably not simple."

The idea will be put to the teams in a meeting in Brazil next Wednesday.