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Throughout Formula One’s existence, the points system has changed several times. In some way or another, all of these changes have driven at a single goal: increase intrigue to attract as much attention from the fans as possible. The awarding of double points during the last race has pursued this same goal, raising more than a little controversy. But now, the debate on this matter has somewhat quieted—the call of the new technical regulations has shifted the question of double points to the back burner. Likewise, the fans’ attention has shifted, too. But the closer we get to the end of the season, the more frequently we’ll return to this subject. And by the end of the season, we’ll be faced with a question: do we keep this rule in its current form, change it (award double points in a few races), or get rid of it completely.
But whatever happens, double points in no way guarantee that the champion won’t be determined until the last race. And definitely not that there will be several drivers battling each other in the last race of the Championship—but that’s just the kind of end to a season that would be most enticing to fans. Which means, of course, that it’s just the kind of end to a season that would be most enticing to all those associated with the sport.
During the debate about double points, several other suggestions came up. One of them borrowed from NASCAR’s idea of a final “Chase.” The draw of this format is that, for those drivers who make it to the Chase, they start with a fresh slate. That is, the competition for the Championship begins anew. A format like this could absolutely liven up the Championship.
Yet it’s also possible that the best option lies neither in another racing series, nor in another sport, but much closer to home…and that place is none other than the qualifying format.
The “qualifying” format.
What makes qualifying so captivating? The results of the first and second sessions are only mid-range finishes—primarily, they reveal who’s going to move forward, giving the battle a fresh start. And right up until the last second, everyone is held captive until the possessor of the pole position becomes clear.
Let’s try to mentally extend this format to the entire championship. The season will consist of three “rounds” (or “sessions,” or “tours”) and the third round could be called the “final.” Like in the qualifying sessions, the results of the first and second rounds are mid-range finishes, which are followed by a fresh start.
This would differ from the qualifying in that the drivers who don’t move forward would still come to the start like before, and continue to compete in the championship. But now, they would no longer be competing for the Championship title, and the battle would be just between themselves. For the drivers who didn’t have a very favorable start to the season, this is, in fact, an opportunity to recoup. And for the fans, all of this will create extra intrigue.
To apply the format of the qualifying sessions to the entire championship, we must first answer a few questions:
— How many drivers move on to the next round?
— How many races are in each round?
— How are the points tallied?
How many drivers move on to the next round?
Well, when it comes to this question, perhaps it’s not necessary to reinvent the wheel—we can just keep the same system from the qualifying sessions.
How many races are in each round?
The number of races in each round could be by one of the following formulas (where x is the number of races per season):
Option 1
That is, the final and the 2nd round have 5 races. All the other races are in the 1st round.
Option 2
That is, the final has 5 races. The remaining races are divided by two. The result is rounded down to a whole number, which is the number of races that goes to the 2nd round. Whatever remains goes to the 1st round.
Option 3
That is, the total number of races is divided by three. The result is rounded down to a whole number, which is the number of races that goes to the final and the 2nd round. Whatever remains goes to the 1st round.
Here’s what our example seasons, consisting of 18, 19 and 20 races, look like:
How are the points tallied?
The Constructor’s Championship
In the Constructor’s Championship, everything will stay the same. All of the points a driver earns will be counted towards the Constructor’s Championship.
Individual Points
Just like before, the driver’s individual score will reflect the points he’s earned over the entire racing season. But the standings will be determined according to points at the end of each round.
— For drivers who don’t make it to the second round, their points earned over the entire season will be counted.
— For drivers who move on to the second round but don’t make it to the third, their points earned over the second round and final will be counted.
— For drivers who make it to the final round, their points earned over only the final will be counted.
Here’s how a table of drivers’ points from 2013 could look with this new format*:
*In reality, the outcome of the championships might have looked quite different, since it’s possible that the teams and drivers would have adopted a different strategy for the season.
This is how adopting the new format could, in the vast majority of seasons, lead to three or more drivers competing for the Championship title in the final race. Even last year, when Sebastian Vettel became the winner for all of the past Grand Prix, in the second to last Grand Prix of the season, there were still four drivers with statistical chances of taking the Championship crown.
A play-off in the Finals
There’s still one more option: hold the third (final) round, consisting of five Grands Prix, according to a play-off system. That is, after each race, out of the ten drivers who made it to the finals, the two who earned the least amount of points must step down from the competition for the title of World Champion. (Though, like before, they still come to the start of the last races and compete amongst themselves for the remaining places.) This way, the final race of the season will be guaranteed to include at least two drivers with identical chances of victory.
Here’s an example:
As I see it, the best option for Formula One is the qualifying format.
— Unlike 2013’s format, it keeps the intrigue for as long as possible.
— Unlike 2014’s format and a play-off format in the finals, it’s fairer—it minimizes the effects of force majeure, or an act of chance (accidents, inability to compete for technical reasons, etc.) on the final results. (Though, of course, it’s impossible to completely remove the effects of chance in any format.)
