OCTOBER 29, 2002

The new points system

The new Formula 1 points system for 2003 will see points going to the top eight finishers on a scale of 10-8-6-5-4-3-2-1 as opposed to the old top six system of 10-6-4-3-2-1. This will have the effect of taking away the bonus for winning, instituted to avoid the World Championship being won by people who had scored fewer victories than others, as happened in the early 1980s. The new system is designed to close up the championship and at the same time award consistency and to help the small teams collect points.

This year, using the 10-6-4-3-2-1 system all the teams scored points with Ferrari collecting a total of 221, Williams 92, McLaren 65, Renault 23, Sauber 11, Jordan 9, Jaguar 8, BAR 7 and Minardi, Toyota and Arrows each picking up two. If the new system had been applied there would have been some changes in the championship order. The points would also have been closer. Ferrari's total would have gone up from 221 to 249 but the Williams total would have leapt from 92 to 137. McLaren would still be third in the title but its score would have increased from 65 to 97 while Renault would have more than doubled its points from 23 to 51. Sauber's points tally in fifth place would have more than trebled from 11 to 37 while sixth-placed Jordan would have jumped up from nine points to 24.

BAR, which scored a lot of seventh and eighth places, would actually move ahead of Jaguar Racing in the Constructors' Championship with its seven points becoming 22 while Jaguar which would have scored only four times would have risen from eight to 18.

Minardi would also have dropped back in the standings with the more consistent Toyota leaping from two points to 13 while Minardi's two would increase to only seven. Arrows would remain 11th and last with its tally moving up from two points to six.