“For me, when you finish second, in some cases it’s real joy if you’ve never done it before or haven’t done it on a regular basis, but, in real terms, you’re the first of the losers.Awarding points to every position would have an effect on FIA finances, too, as drivers must hand out money for […]
“For me, when you finish second, in some cases it’s real joy if you’ve never done it before or haven’t done it on a regular basis, but, in real terms, you’re the first of the losers.Awarding points to every position would have an effect on FIA finances, too, as drivers must hand out money for their annual Super Licence fees – this cost of entry fee is determined by how many points a driver has scored during the previous season.
David Coulthard: It’s just a case of spreading finances
Podcast co-host Eddie Jordan, former team boss of Jordan GP, would have been a beneficiary of such a system during his time in the sport, given how Jordan was usually a midfield operation.
Until 2002, the points system only awarded points to the top six finishers, extending to the top eight in 2003. These were the systems David Coulthard raced with during his F1 career, with the Scottish driver dismissing the idea of extending the points system further beyond the top 10.
With the field set to expand in F1 2026 with Cadillac’s arrival, the idea of more than half the grid going home empty-handed from a race may cause the issue to be revisited this year.
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“There’s the winner, and then second is the first of the losers, and then it’s the second of the losers and the third of the losers… that’s how I see it.
Jordan pointed to an example of how one of his drivers had been extra motivated to succeed given the small window for success open to him, which likely wouldn’t have motivated him as much had points been available further down the field.
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“We absolutely 100 per cent agree on this,” he said.
“[I said to him] ‘If you don’t score points today – and that was top six – you are history, you are adios, you’re down the road and you are sacked’.
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Where such a system would have a benefit would be in ensuring every position is as hard-fought as possible, with lower-scoring teams sometimes only separated in the championship by a driver managing to secure a higher non-scoring points place.
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“I absolutely am against points to 10th place.”
“Who remembers who finished fourth? You might remember who finished second and third.
Last year, an idea was put forward to extend the points scoring beyond the top 10 to include a further two positions eligible for scoring, but the proposal was shot down in a unanimous vote by the F1 Commission.
“When you’re competing in life, and competing in every different aspect, there is a compulsion amongst us – and that competitive urge is to win.
“So I’m saying the aspirations and the drive, or the commitment to finishing the top six is so important. I’m absolutely against this jiggling around with absolute nonsense and points, for Christ’s sake, down to 12th place – they’ll soon give points to everyone on the grid. It’s just a nonsense.”
“Jesus, top 10 in anything – it’s not really anything to shout about, is it?”
“So I think it’s just a case of spreading the financial love, because we’re looking at giving credit to anyone outside the top 10.
“It was what it was, and today it is what it is, and you can keep changing things and it doesn’t fundamentally change. The most important thing is the winner.
A proposal to tweak the F1 points scoring system for 2025 was ruled out by the F1 Commission in July, with the idea criticised by former team boss Eddie Jordan.
“And what happened? He finished sixth. Would he have finished sixth if there were points to the top 10? I don’t think so.
“As long as you don’t let it overrule your entire body and your whole meaning for life and you take it as it is, then winning is so important.
“Back in my day, you only got points for the top six,” he said on the Formula For Success podcast.
“I remember when [Ralf Schumacher] finished sixth in a Jordan car,” he said.
His team may have scored plenty more points and secured occasionally higher championship positions had F1 awarded points outside the top six – the points system in place for all but three of Jordan’s seasons as a team – but the Irishman was equally as dismissive of the idea of further points spread.
The idea of extending the points system hasn’t disappeared entirely though, with one informal suggestion that was bandied about being to make every position a points-scoring one.
