FIA decision is backward step

IN my opinion, the new points system introduced by the FIA is another backward step for Formula One which has seen far too many changes in the last few years.

The latest rule change to follow a whole raft for the 2009 season, will see the driver’s title decided by the amount of wins. This is nothing new in many ways. The amount of wins a driver recorded in a season was always used as a tie-breaker if two or more drivers ended the season on the same points. The new rule has sparked once again more controversy, which the sport is becoming more renowned for than the actual racing it is supposed to be about.

Not only has this been sprung upon teams a mere two weeks before the opening round of the season in Australia, but it really does not solve a problem. In fact it seems the FIA have tried to solve a problem, which just isn’t there to begin with.

I admit the current points system does not really work in the sense that a win is not rewarded with enough points - just ten in fact. Drivers, who are consistent seem to reap the rewards as a second place finish earns eight points and third pick up six.

Introducing the wins system means drivers will try harder for victories, but it will hurt smaller teams. Teams who are unlikely to win races may lose out if we have a situation like Brazil 2003 where the Jordan team won a race. The driver would be immediately above the pecking order of other drivers who finish regularly in the points because he has won a race with the new system. With the economic climate as it is, every finish will be crucial for prize money.

However, the situation we could be handed with, which would be a detriment to the sport is this: If one driver is so dominant he may win - let’s say nine races out of the 17 - which would be easily enough for the title. This would mean the driver would not need to try for the remainder of the year contributing to a boring season. Under the old system he would have to keep going right down until he had made the title mathematically safe.

The changes have sparked a mixed reaction from drivers with Williams’ Nico Rosberg labelling the system ‘nonsense’ and Jenson Button has said that once drivers have got enough wins they will stop trying.

If the new system was used last year, Felipe Mass would have won the title and not Lewis Hamilton. The way I look at it is Formula One should be about the racing. The most successful and consistent driver over the season should be the champion.

I for one just can’t understand why a sport has to be tampered with so much so that we have lost the true essence of what Formula One is; man and machine combining to be the best.

Tom Howard