Bernie Ecclestone
not satisfied with points system
Formula One CEO Bernie Ecclestone is launching a fresh campaign for his medals system to be implemented in F1, in opposition to this year’s new points system. The 79-year-old argued that the method has
been ineffective this year, with five drivers in extremely close contention for the F1 title.
“If you look at the points system, it has made absolutely no difference,” Ecclestone claimed. “If we had the old system, it would be exactly the same position as now. Which is strange.”
The current points system was put into place to allow more emphasis on winning races, with a greater interval between first, second, and third place positions, etc. But due to the unpredictable nature
of F1 this season, with the championship leader changing on a weekly basis, Ecclestone believes his medal system would be better suited to the sport, putting even greater pressure on the drivers and narrowing the gap even more.
“Maybe they will wake up and think about my gold medal system now,” Ecclestone stated. “Because Mark would have four gold medals now and two other guys with three, so the championship could go all the
way to the wire.”
Although the medals system has the advantage of placing more emphasis on the winner and is simpler in its structure, it has come under fire by critics for not rewarding consistency and following a “winner-takes-all,”
mentality. If put into place, it could have a dramatic effect on team/driver strategy and turn F1 into a more aggressive, head-to-head competition. Given the demand to rev up the entertainment value of the industry, a more hot-headed form of racing could bring
in increased revenue, but others argue that it is not the most efficient way to judge the best driver. Had the system been in place a few years ago, for example, Ferrari’s Felipe Massa would have taken the 2008 title over McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton, despite
Hamilton’s better finishes overall.
Yet Ecclestone, in an attempt to overhaul the sport, believes that it could open up an opportunity and should be considered again. “They will see now what could happen, let's wait and see,” he advised.
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