Winner Takes All
The Formula One World Series will have a new championship points structure for this season, with the driver scoring the most wins taking the title after the final race.

I'll have to commend them for making a change to a points structure that saw last year the driver with the most wins lose out on the championship to the driver with the more consistent record.

It was the first time since 1989 that the winner of the most races didn't also win the championship. That year, despite winning six of the season's 16 races, Ayrton Senna lost the championship on points after suffering six retirements and having one disqualification. Alain Prost won that year's championship with only four victories.

But the current points system has worked pretty well between those two years where the winner of the championship also won the most races. And last year, it would've been pretty fair for Massa to take the championship on the merit of having the most victories, as he only lost by one point to Lewis Hamilton.

However, what happens when you have a situation where a driver may win six races but also suffer six retirements in the same season and you see a driver who maybe finished with five races and more consistently in the points lose the title?

I think the WMSC should have gone with the team association's suggestion of changing the points to the winner receiving 12 points, second-place nine points, third place seven points and fourth on down staying at five and one less point to the eighth-place finisher.
Posted: 3/19/2009 4:58:02 PM
Comments:
Billy, yeah most people would think that Jr fans wouldn't want a system like that but motorsports need to stop kidding themselves and make winning priority #1. Remember when Kenseth won a championship and had only one win? Also, Kyle had 8 wins, Edwards had 9, and cup champ Johnson had 7 so wouldn't Kyle have finished 2nd? Either way, the driver that won the most didn't win the title and I just find it silly that average drivers that you rarely see in victory lane can potentially be the winner of the championship. I dunno it's a two sided thing where it's neat to reward consistency but I think it's silly having so many degrees of losing.
Posted On: 3/24/2009 3:15:17 PM
Repealed. It wont go into effect until 2010
http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/22032009/3/new-scoring-system-confirmed-2010-ecclestone.html

Hey dalejrfreak - With a moniker like that how can you say only wins matter?
Jees, I'd think you'd be the last person to want a system like that in place (1 in 103 and counting). And by F1 standards, Kyle Busch would have finished 3rd behind Edwards and Johnson. http://www.jayski.com/teams/chase2008.htm

I too liked the driver's suggestion of awarding more for better finishes. And F1 doesn't award for average to bad finishes. of the 20-22 cars per race, only 8 score points.

Personally, I think NASCAR could take a page from F1 and cut the points, and stop awarding points to those not in the top 25 or 30.

Racing in general, be it ski racing auto racing motor cycle racing is different from other sports. In racing competitors are facing the same field at each competition. Thus consistency should be rewarded.
Posted On: 3/24/2009 10:20:43 AM
*-doesn't
Posted On: 3/21/2009 3:47:25 AM
I understand the concern about consistency in a season, but lets face it, what other major sports reward consistency over winning? Should the NFL or NBA give out championships based on the win/loss record of a team instead of who wins the final game in the playoffs? In the end the only thing that matters is who wins and who doesn't, being in second or third doesn't "most of the time" doesn't matter. Motorsports suffer from rewarding those who are very good at being average and not rewarding the ones who end up with the most race wins (am I right Kyle Busch fans?). I mean lets face it, winning is what matters the most in ANY sport and I'm glad that the F1 is going to do what most other motorsports should.
Posted On: 3/21/2009 3:46:41 AM

Report Inappropriate Content

Select the reason that best describes why you think this content is inappropriate, and then click Submit. We'll review the content to determine if action is required. Thanks for your input!
 
Submit
Cancel