F1 - F'd Up

Apparently 'sense' has prevailed for the time being at the FIA after their ill-fated attempt to rewrite the Formula 1 rule book yet again. (World Motor Sport Council - Decisions press release 17/03/2009).

Today's new FIA Formula One World Championship press release (20/03/2009) is a rather embarassing U-turn, brought about purely by the amount of ridicule they've suffered from just about all corners for the last couple of days.

It seems that Messrs Mosley and Ecclestone are yet again determined to make the power play between the constructors and the governing body the main focus of the coming F1 season, rather than the actual competition itself.

Now I'm not sure whether there's a need in the first place for a revised scoring system, but assuming that all parties believe there is, then the ineptitude of Bernie's 'winner takes all' idea is so blindingly obvious that it beggars belief that anyone would even consider it.

As I understand it, the Drivers' Championship would be awarded pure and simply to the driver who had achieved the most wins during that season. In the event of a tie the title would go to the driver with the highest total number of points scored. Irrespective of what points are awarded to the first 3 places - can anyone see the blindingly obvious flaw with this system?

Well consider this, at the end of last season (2008) there were 22 drivers in the official rankings who could have started in 18 races. With Mr Ecclestone's 'new and improved' scoring system, the following scenario suddenly becomes a frightening possibility.

Driver 1 wins the first 4 races and then doesn't finish another race for the rest of the season, meanwhile 5 other drivers are going at it 'hammer and tongs' each winning every other race between them, though no driver has more than 3 wins to his credit. He does however have numerous 2nd and 3rd places etc. and all finish in each of the season's 18 races. All that however would count for nought with regards to the Drivers' Championship as they can't match the 4 wins of Driver 1. So you tell me, does that mean the best driver has won - I think not.

Now if I, and presumably others can see the flaw in Bernie Ecclestone's system, why couldn't the supposed experts who run Formula 1?

Yet another example of incompetent thinking by people in positions of power.

I personally hope the balance of power in F1 shifts away from the FIA / WMSC to FOTA. After all, they're the ones having to work with the cars and drivers day in day out to achieve the incredible feats of man and machine which makes F1 such an exciting spectator sport.

But then again, that's just my opinion.

"Winning isn't always finishing first.
Sometimes winning is just finishing."
- Manuel Diotte