Category: Formula 1

Andretti recently opened a new headquarters in Silverstone and has now started a recruiting spree to populate its European base with F1 staff, despite having been told by the series it will not be allowed to enter in the 2026 season.

The 60 vacancies include senior F1 roles such as head of aero development, head of mechanical design and various other engineering positions including aerodynamics and CFD, model design, electronics, control systems, IT, vehicle performance and manufacturing.

All roles are based in its Silverstone Park estate on the periphery of the grand prix circuit and across the road from Aston Martin’s new headquarters.

In its rejection statement, F1 said it wasn’t convinced Andretti would provide enough value, but it left the door open for a new entry process for the 2028 season. The American powerhouse is planning to field works engines by Cadillac’s parent company GM which should help reinforce its case.

Speaking to the Associated Press, F1 and IndyCar legend Mario Andretti said there would be more sit-down meetings with F1 chiefs, including at next week’s Miami Grand Prix.

“We only had one meeting with them, that’s a problem,” the 1978 world champion told AP.

“We haven’t had enough. I think that’s why I really welcome our next meeting. Let’s sit down.

Michael Andretti, Mario Andretti, Dan Towriss, Andretti Global

Photo by: Andretti

“There were some opportunities missed along the way, but we’ve got to look forward, not back. I’m remaining hopeful because we never stop working towards this.

“It was made clear that our work is at pace, and as you can see we’re not just talking.

“We’re putting brick and mortar together. We’ve shown that with the team that already has a place in Silverstone.”

Andretti was convinced F1’s rejection was based “definitely on the financial side” as he and his son Michael, who owns and runs the team, felt they were never told about any other convincing reasons.

“We’re trying to say, ‘We’ll do whatever you ask of us.’ But they haven’t told us yet except for some excuses like, ‘Oh we don’t want you coming on, we don’t want you to be embarrassed’,” he added.

“But we don’t want to embarrass ourselves, and the fact is General Motors has made it so clear that they’re excited about this project.

“They have a long-term commitment there, and I don’t know what else we can do.”

The name will be the same. 12 years after he left, Nico Hulkenberg is heading back to the Sauber Formula 1 team in 2025. Yet his circumstances are much changed and so are the team’s – and the championship overall from the final days of the V8 engine era.

As the Audi rebrand looms, this is the shot Hulkenberg felt he’d previously been unjustly denied in F1. And it’s one he’s absolutely earned.

Hulkenberg’s move from Haas to Sauber for 2025 has been a while in the making. Only last September, he was openly coveting this exact transfer – recognising that Audi had wanted a German driver when it first formally announced its F1 entry a year earlier.

The manufacturer has also been agitating in the 2025 driver market so turbocharged early by Lewis Hamilton’s decision to join Ferrari.

This has stirred another famous agitator in the sphere, Red Bull’s motorsport advisor and driver career kingmaker, Helmut Marko. But Audi – via Sauber team representative Alessandro Alunni Bravi – has deliberately positioned itself as “a player in the market” and not a spectator.

It wants its 2026 driver line-up sorted early and has made its offers to reflect that position. Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz reportedly has a lucrative offer to formalise mutual long-term interest in the project, while Hulkenberg has matched Audi’s early intentions in signing sooner.

Given Audi’s status and motorsport pedigree, this is a remarkable career turned around for the driver who in 2021 had been adrift since the year before and sampling IndyCar – a venture he ended up not comfortable in pursuing – in between COVID-19 replacement drives for the Racing Point/Aston Martin squad.

Hulkenberg on the grid at the Chinese Grand Prix

Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images

The Audi move provides Hulkenberg the shot he thought he’d been denied.

Back in 2013, Hulkenberg’s previous F1 season with Sauber featured several stunning performances in Ferrari-powered machinery where his drives at Monza, Korea, Suzuka and Austin were the highlights. In Korea, he thrillingly kept Fernando Alonso and Hamilton at bay.

Then, his 2010 Brazil rookie pole for Williams and his frontrunning drive for Force India at the same track two years later were still fresh memories. In 2013 he was therefore repeatedly linked with a subsequent move to Ferrari and joining Sauber was seen as preparation for such a change.

But it never came – at the Scuderia or elsewhere. The change to the V6 turbo hybrids placed a new premium on driver weight and Hulkenberg, at 6ft, felt this went against him.

Audi, helmed by Andreas Seidl, who led the crack Porsche LMP1 squad where Hulkenberg won the 2015 Le Mans 24 Hours on debut in 2015, knows what it’s getting

“I’ve never had an answer where [teams] said, ‘Sorry, no – we turned you down because you’re too tall’,” Hulkenberg said in an interview with select media including Autosport at the 2023 Belgian Grand Prix.

“Probably they wouldn’t tell me straight to my face. But I’m pretty sure that it has, yeah, hindered the odd opportunity and occasion to jump to a top car. Packaging issues, less space, more weight [were the reasons cited], which is not the right way around in this business.”

He was speaking in the smaller, comparatively spartan Haas motorhome that soaking day at Spa.

The German returns to Sauber having raced for the team back in 2013

Photo by: Charles Coates / Motorsport Images

The American squad and its then-team principal Guenther Steiner gave Hulkenberg an F1 revitalisation in 2023. Haas needed a more reliable driver than the crash-prone Mick Schumacher and Hulkenberg had badgered Steiner with calls and even data presentations about what he still had to offer as a racer.

He delivered swiftly. His seventh place at the Australian GP, which might’ve been a podium had the stewards’ ruled differently over the chaotic ending of that event, convinced Steiner to activate the option in Hulkenberg’s initial 1+1 contract for 2024. This was even before he really regularly starred in qualifying last year, before inevitably slipping back amid the VF-23’s massive in-race tyre wear problem.

That good form has continued this year – with Hulkenberg leading team-mate Kevin Magnussen 2-0 in Q3 appearances from the opening five rounds and by four points to one in the drivers’ standings.

Audi, helmed by Andreas Seidl, who led the crack Porsche LMP1 squad where Hulkenberg won the 2015 Le Mans 24 Hours on debut in 2015, knows what it’s getting. The odd rash error still remains along the lines of shunting with Hamilton at Interlagos 2012 – think his Qatar GP start gaffe – but overall Hulkenberg feels he’s the same driver he was when his Renault stint ended in 2019. He just feels much fitter these days.

At 38 in August next year, there will be some who say this call is blocking a seat for an up-and-coming young racer.

But the reality is that it actually makes it easier for Haas to now sign Ollie Bearman for 2024. It’s understood the team would like to do this if Bearman can keep up the impressive performances he showed in Jeddah in his six 2024 F1 FP1 appearances and the remaining Formula 2 rounds this year.

The other young driver tipped for a 2025 F1 promotion – Andrea Kimi Antonelli – was never a Sauber/Audi contender given his Mercedes ties.

Then there is how Hulkenberg is delivering the type of results a hotshot such as George Russell was securing at the back of the grid for Williams in 2019-2021 – so it’s not as if fans are missing out on that front.

The driver market moves have opened up a chance for Oliver Bearman to make the step into F1

Photo by: Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Images

Of course, people like change. But the lack of F2-F1 promotion in the last two years reflects both the comparative weakness of recent junior category fields and that F1 teams just don’t make the more emotion-drenched decisions outsiders may desire.

Hulkenberg’s experience is obvious to Audi. It says it wants him to be “closely involved in the development of Audi’s first F1 car for 2026” – via the Sauber press release announcing his signing.

This development does make things harder for two existing F1 drivers: Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu. It has been becoming clearer that the Swiss-based team wants an all-new line-up for the Audi’s first F1 season, given the choices Hulkenberg has already made and on which Sainz is now deliberating.

The Hulkenberg-to-Audi move does complicate the driver market picture

If Sainz does get the chance he desires elsewhere on the grid – most likely from Red Bull given the competitiveness and contract length it could offer, even if it’s unwilling to hand out as high a salary for Sainz as Audi – Sauber has a handy fallback in either incumbent.

Zhou has the appeal to the Chinese market where Audi is keen to sell more road cars. This, in theory, would leave Bottas looking to extend his F1 career at Alpine or return to Williams.

Here, the Hulkenberg-to-Audi move does complicate the picture because it has been suggested to Autosport that Williams could be a rookie starting spot for Antonelli. That makes it more likely all parties around these potential deals may now wait longer to see where the pieces fall, even if others drop elsewhere.

Results-wise, both Bottas and Zhou have overall been underwhelming these past two years. That reflects more on the 10-time grand prix winner who could command a significant salary when joining from Mercedes for 2022 and may yet be a candidate to replace Magnussen at Haas, but also more on Sauber’s current place in the F1 pecking order.

Audi will aim to hit the ground running as a ‘big’ F1 team in 2026

Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images

This heaps pressure on Audi and its engine project from 2026.

Its OEM status, 13 Le Mans wins, two World Rally crowns, the 2017-2018 FE teams title and 2024 Dakar Rally successes mean it must be considered a ‘big’ F1 team. That’s even though its current iteration is trapped in the bottom five pack that struggles to score regular points.

Sauber has also endured pitstop humiliation this season and two instances of its upgraded front wings coming apart without drivers striking them against other cars or walls (for Zhou in Australia qualifying and while overtaking Kevin Magnussen last time out in China).

However, given both these aspects were implemented as a drive to improve performance, the intentions are pleasingly positive.

Audi now needs to provide overall class-leading equipment, but also provide the time and resources to get its engineering might into position to succeed in F1. This can take a long time, as Mercedes discovered when it bought a title-winning entry in Brawn in 2009 and as Toyota never found out half a decade earlier.

The German marque had pretty instant success at Le Mans and in FE, where it ultimately pulled out surprisingly fast. It may not be able to replicate this in F1, but the rewards, if enough patience and resources are provided around the right driving talent, are much greater overall this time around.

Can Hulkenberg help Audi’s development at the start of its F1 journey?

Photo by: Andy Hone / Motorsport Images

While teams and series bosses could not reach an agreement on a new points structure at the Geneva get-together on Thursday, they did sign off plans for new rear-facing cameras to appear from the Barcelona event in June.

The new camera will offer fans a unique perspective on pursuing cars, as the camera will be placed on top of the rear crash structure that protrudes out the back of the car.

This is a big departure from what F1 has had up until now, which is the rear facing camera being situated bang in the middle of the car near the cockpit.

So whereas previously the rear view has included the engine cover and rear wing, the new angle will offer an uncluttered view behind – which should be hugely spectacular when cars are running nose-to-tail.

Speaking to Autosport earlier this year about the plans, F1’s director of broadcast and media Dean Locke said the new angle should be able to mirror some of the spectacular on-boards we get from other categories of racing – especially saloon and touring car racing.

“Our [previous] rear-facing camera from the roll hoop is good, but it’s in the middle of the car,” he said.

“So, you don’t get what we do in Porsche Supercup, where we put something in the rear light and you get those two cars that are really, really close.”

Photo by: Andy Hone / Motorsport Images

F1 worked with Aston Martin and the FIA on some experiments with the new rear-facing camera last year.

While the view that was offered was spectacular, positioning a camera in such an extreme location was not without its difficulties.

Locke added: “It was really amazing, and we really liked it, but it’s just an awful long way from our processor. It’s four meters and on that sort of cable, you can get quite a lot of interference and things like that. So, we’ve been working around some issues.”

With the technical problems overcome, the final hurdle was to get approval from both teams and the FIA because the camera’s location is in a safety-critical area of the car.

But with everybody comfortable that there were no negatives to the use of the camera, the plan has now been signed off to run the cameras at events properly from the Spanish GP.

F1 currently schedules six sprint weekends per year on a selection of circuits, with the first sprint of 2024 taking place last weekend in China, and the second following next week at the Miami Grand Prix.

Sprints have been treated to mixed reviews by drivers and fans, with the additional competitive sessions compared to free practices generally raising interest, but also increasing the load on team personnel.

A tweaked format for 2024, with teams now allowed to make car adjustments between the sprint race and grand prix qualifying, was seen as a step forward.

PLUS: Did F1’s new sprint format work?

China’s entertaining sprint, with a somewhat different pecking order compared to the actual grand prix, further emboldened F1 CEO Domenicali to suggest there is a case to go beyond six sprints per year in the future.

“The qualifying sprint in those incredible conditions, we had a lot of running [in the rain] and that reminds us that we have the duty to make sure that every day there is some action on the track to respect the fans that are coming here and want to have fun,” Domenicali told Sky Sports F1.

When asked if that could mean more sprints in the future, he replied: “Why not? Why not? I would say this is great because it keeps the tension on every day and this is something that will be discussed in the future.

“Now, let’s see how this year with the sprints will go. But that’s a point of discussion for sure that I want to discuss in the next F1 Commission.

Stefano Domenicali, CEO, Formula One Group, and Yao Ming on the grid

Photo by: Andy Hone / Motorsport Images

“We need to avoid any possibility to have a situation like Japan with cars not running [because of weather conditions].

“This is not good for the people that are coming to see us and see the drivers. I am sure that the teams will understand that we need to find solutions.”

World champion Max Verstappen, one of the fiercest critics of sprint races, conceded that the updated format for 2024 was a solid improvement.

But he also added that F1 shouldn’t take that as a reason to pump up the number of sprints in the future.

“The sprint format was better, a bit more straightforward I would say,” Verstappen said after swooping both Shanghai’s sprint and grand prix.

“But let’s not overdo it as well, because we are already doing 24 races a year, six of these sprint events as well.

“I get it. I guess it sells better and better numbers on TV, but it’s also more stress on the mechanics and everything.

“You have to deal with it, but let’s not think that now we need 12 of those because it will take its toll on people as well.”

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing, on the grid

Photo by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images

McLaren’s Lando Norris added: “I don’t think it’s too bad for us as drivers, honestly. I don’t think we can be the ones to complain at all.

“It’s the hundreds of mechanics and engineers that have to travel so much. It’s not healthy for them. It is not sustainable.

“So, the problem is not with us. People should look out more for the rest of the team.”

Hulkenberg’s current team Haas announced on Friday morning that the German is leaving the squad at the end of the 2024 season.

The 36-year-old was out of contract at Haas and was long known to be on Audi F1 CEO Andreas Seidl’s shortlist.

Hulkenberg will now join the team, which will still be known as Sauber in 2025, one year ahead of Audi’s official F1 entry in 2026 on a multi-year deal. He previously raced for the Swiss-based team in 2013.

“I’m returning to the team I worked with back in 2013 and have fond memories of the strong team spirit in Switzerland,” said Hulkenberg.

“The prospect of competing for Audi is something very special. When a German manufacturer enters Formula 1 with such determination, it is a unique opportunity.

“To represent the factory team of such a car brand with a power unit made in Germany is a great honour for me.”

Hulkenberg and Seidl previously worked together at Porsche’s WEC team, with the pair winning the 2015 Le Mans 24 Hours together on Hulkenberg’s cameo for the Weissach squad, which Seidl was the team principal of.

“We are very pleased to welcome Nico back here in Hinwil from 2025 and to compete with him in Formula 1, Seidl commented.

“With his speed, his experience and his commitment to teamwork, he will be an important part of the transformation of our team – and of Audi’s F1 project.

“Right from the start, there was great mutual interest in building something long-term together.

“Nico is a strong personality, and his input, on a professional and personal level, will help us to make progress both in the development of the car and in building up the team.”

Audi is also known to have made out-of-contract Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz an offer to join Hulkenberg at the squad next year, but the Spaniard is still considering his options given there are other potential vacancies at F1’s top teams.

If Sainz does put pen to paper, that would mean Sauber’s current drivers Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu are both set to leave the squad at the end of the year.

Ferrari reserve driver Oliver Bearman is thought to be the leading candidate to replace Hulkenberg at Haas, on loan from the Scuderia.

Sauber is yet to score points in 2024, having been plagued by pitstop issues during the opening races of the season, while Audi is working away in the background to deliver a stronger package for 2026’s wholesale regulations changes.

The German had emerged as one of the key targets for Audi, which is gearing up with its current Sauber partner for its official F1 entry as a works team from 2026.

Autosport revealed earlier this week that Audi had been eager to make an early move on getting its driver plans in place, with a May deadline set down for the drivers it was talking to.

Hulkenberg and Carlos Sainz have been on its shortlist as priority targets, with the plan being for them to join the Sauber squad next year prior to its rebranding as Audi for the following campaign.

And although it is understood that Sainz is still evaluating other options – having been linked with potential seats at Red Bull and Mercedes – Hulkenberg is believed to have committed to an Audi future.

While there has been no official confirmation from Audi about the plans, Hulkenberg’s current Haas squad announced on Friday morning that the German would be departing at the end of this campaign.

An announcement regarding his move to Sauber is expected imminently.

Team principal Ayao Komatsu said: “I’d like to extend my thanks to Nico for his contributions to the team. In the time that he’s been here with us. He has been a great team player and someone we very much enjoy working with.

“His experience and feedback have proved invaluable to us in terms of improving our overall performance – a fact that’s clearly evident in both his qualifying and race performances in the VF-24 this season.

“There’s lots more racing to go this year, so we look forward to continuing to benefit from his inputs throughout the remainder of the 2024 season.”

Hulkenberg’s departure opens a logical vacancy at Haas next year for Ferrari reserve Oliver Bearman, who impressed greatly during a stand-in appearance for Sainz at this year’s Saudi Arabian Grand Prix and has been widely tipped to make the move up to F1 in 2025.

It is unclear who Hulkenberg’s team-mate at Sauber will be in 2025, with it looking increasingly unlikely that either of its current drivers Valtteri Bottas and Guanyu Zhou will remain.

Sainz is understood to remain a key target, but the Spaniard is understood to still want to bide his time while the picture at other teams becomes clearer over forthcoming weeks.

It emerged on Thursday that Newey has expressed privately to some members of the Red Bull team about his desire to leave the Milton Keynes-based squad.

Although the outfit remains dominant in F1, it is suggested that Newey has become disillusioned with the fallout of the power battle that erupted earlier this year for control of the squad amid uncertainty over team boss Christian Horner’s future.

However, sources have suggested that the situation is not clear cut, and there has been no formal communication with senior management at the team nor Red Bull’s energy drinks parent company about him leaving his chief technical officer position.

Furthermore, sources have suggested that there has not been any official resignation handed in.

The shock development has inevitably fuelled talk that Newey’s departure could open the door for a move to a big-money rival, with it known that both Ferrari and Aston Martin have been trying to lure him on board.

Both teams would benefit from the input of Newey, as they lay out lofty targets to get to the front of F1.

Watch: Adrian Newey Set to Leave Red Bull

Ferrari will be bolstered by the arrival of Lewis Hamilton next year, and a Newey switch there would see him work with both the Italian squad and the seven-time world champion for the first time.

However, it is questionable about whether or not Newey would want to go through a major upheaval in his life and move to Maranello – and potentially walk into a situation that could be just as politically complex as Red Bull.

Aston Martin has also been trying to lure Newey, with Autosport revealing recently that owner Lawrence Stroll has personally made an offer to attract him.

Stroll has an ambitious vision for the Silverstone-based squad, and a move there for Newey would be logistically easier for him and would see him renew a working relationship with Dan Fallows after the pair worked closely together at Red Bull for several years.

But the situation surrounding Newey is incredibly complex, especially when it comes down to his contractual arrangements.

As Red Bull made clear in a statement on Thursday evening, Newey’s current contract, which was signed early last year, currently commits him to working at the team until the end of 2025.

However, it is also understood that there are further contractual non-complete clauses that could prevent him joining one of Red Bull’s rivals for another 12 months beyond that – which would, in theory, make him unavailable to another squad until 2027.

That delay would minimise Newey’s input until the start of 2028, which is well into the next rules cycle when teams will already have been heavily committed to their next regulation challengers.

By then, Newey would be nearing 70 so would likely be edging towards retirement after a glittering F1 career.

The other potential scenario that could be playing out is that Newey could be looking to step away from F1 completely rather than throwing his all in with another team.

He is known to be excited by other projects, such as Red Bull’s RB17 hypercar, but continuing work on that would require him to remain a part of the Milton Keynes-based operation rather than being outside it.

The only way Newey could fast-track a move to a rival would be if an agreement was reached between all interested parties – himself, Red Bull and a new team – to buy out the terms of his current contract.

However, such a deal would likely be hugely expensive as Red Bull would be reluctant to let him go cheaply as it could hand an early advantage to a competitor.

F1 has changed its points system several times over the years, with the first structure used in 1950 looking very different to what it is now. 

There is even another change on the cards for the 2025 season and a decision over if to introduce it or not will be made later this year – as Autosport exclusively revealed. 

New F1 points system

There will be more points-paying positions under F1’s new structure, should the discussed system receive the necessary support to get introduced.  

It has been proposed that points should be awarded to the top 12 finishers of a grand prix, rather than 10, as a significant gap emerged between the top and bottom half of the championship in 2024. 

In the opening five grands prix Alpine, Sauber and Williams all failed to score, while 33 points separated fifth-placed Aston Martin and RB in sixth.  

The smaller teams therefore argued that a change is needed to ensure points are more widely distributed. For it to be granted, five of the current 10 teams need to vote in favour and, despite it not being unanimous, this shouldn’t be a problem as many top constructors aren’t opposing it.  

This may be due to the new system having a minimal impact on the fight for the overall championship. Under it, the top seven positions will remain as valuable as before with eighth onwards just receiving a slight change.  

Laurent Mekies of Visa Cash App RB talks to Daniel Ricciardo, RB F1 Team

Photo by: Red Bull Content Pool

The change will also ensure that races become more valuable for slower teams, as right now they are likely to have frequent non-scores. 

RB team principal Laurent Mekies told Autosport: “The bottom five teams are large organisations now and it’s very difficult to explain to the outside world, to our partners, and to our fans, that we battle for a P11 that actually grants zero points. 

“If you look at the level of competitiveness of the top five teams and the reliability level of the cars, it means that most of the race you’re battling theoretically for zero points, and we don’t think this is right.” 

It will also reward consistent finishes throughout a season rather than fluke results which could decide a position in the championship. Yuki Tsunoda, for example, finished either 11th or 12th six times in 2023 yet that level of consistency was never rewarded. 

Under the proposed system, those six results would have scored points causing AlphaTauri – now RB – to finish above Williams in the constructors’ championship.  

Mekies added: “We also think it’s more meritocratic because, if you score points up until P12, you will avoid the effect where if something completely stunning happens and somebody scores a P5 or P4 in the rain, it means the other guys can stay home for 10 races.” 

Not everybody is in favour of the change though, as ex-F1-driver-turned-commentator Martin Brundle posted: “Points must be hard won and treasured. Valued. Not some kind of lucky dip where everyone wins a prize.” 

Martin Brundle, Sky F1, chats with Carlos Sainz Jr

Photo by: Sam Bagnall / Motorsport Images

The proposed system will have no impact on the sprint race, with a sliding scale of 8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 still to be in use.  

F1 world champions if the proposed points system had always been used 

The proposed system will mark the 30th change to F1’s points structure since its inaugural season in 1950. Back then, F1 used a scale of 8-6-4-3-2 before switching to nine points for a victory in 1961 and then 10 in 1991, while a win has been worth 25 points since 2010. 

Up until 1990, F1 also used a dropped points format where not every result counted towards the championship – in 1950, for example, only a driver’s four best finishes were recognised. It varied throughout the years and in some instances, a driver became champion despite scoring fewer points than a rival. 

In 1964, for example, Graham Hill scored one more point than John Surtees, yet the latter became champion because Hill had his points finish in Belgium dropped from the standings. This meant only 39 of Hill’s points counted as opposed to 40 for Surtees. 

It happened again in 1988 when Alain Prost scored 11 more points than Ayrton Senna, yet the Brazilian became champion because he had 14 fewer points dropped than his McLaren team-mate.  

So, if the proposed system had always been used, many championship outcomes would have finished differently – for example, 1964 and 1988. 

This means Prost would join Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton as a seven-time world champion, having taken a title from Senna, the 1983 championship from Nelson Piquet and Niki Lauda’s 1984 crown. 

Alain Prost, Williams FW15C Renault.

Photo by: Motorsport Images

Elsewhere, James Hunt would not be a world champion as the 1976 title would belong to Lauda. Eddie Irvine would be the 1999 world champion and not Mika Hakkinen, while Damon Hill would have two titles after claiming the 1994 championship on top of the 1996 crown that he actually sealed. 

Despite losing the 1994 championship to Hill, Schumacher would still have seven titles because the 1997 crown would have gone to him and not Jacques Villeneuve. 

Carlos Reutemann also becomes the 1981 world champion instead of Piquet while Jacky Ickx takes the 1970 title off Jochen Rindt, who died at that season’s fourth-to-last round. 

Also, Alberto Ascari would be a triple world champion after winning the 1951 title instead of Juan Manuel Fangio, meaning the Argentine has four titles.  

F1’s current points system (2022 – present)

F1 has used its current points system since the 2022 season when it trialled a new format for the sprint race. The sprint race debuted in 2021 where a scale of just 3-2-1 was given to the top three finishers.  

But for 2022, that sliding scale was increased to 8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 meaning the sprint race became more valuable for much of the grid. The current grand prix scale of 25-18-15-12-10-8-6-4-2-1 has been used since 2010 though, as F1 wanted to increase the value of a victory because beforehand just two points was the difference between first and second under a 10-8-6-5-4-3-2-1 format.  

The system introduced in 2010 then received a controversial addition in 2014, as F1 offered double points for the Abu Dhabi season finale when Hamilton and Nico Rosberg were fiercely battling for the championship. 

Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes F1 W05 Hybrid, 1st Position, arrives in Parc Ferme after securing the win and the 2014 World Champion

Photo by: Andrew Ferraro / Motorsport Images

Luckily, it had no impact on the championship fight as Hamilton would have won regardless, but it was subsequently scrapped for 2015. F1 then tweaked the format again in 2019 but this time proved more successful, as the fastest lap bonus point returned for the first time since 1959 and it remains in use today.

The 2022 season also saw F1 revamp its reduced points system. Currently, F1 has two hours of track time within a three-hour window to complete the scheduled distance of a grand prix. But, for differing factors whether it be a safety car or slow laps etc, sometimes a full race cannot be completed within the time limit. 

So, if track time hits two hours, then the grand prix finishes at the end of the next full lap and depending on how much of the distance has been completed, a certain percentage of points will get awarded. 

For example, if two laps or fewer are completed then zero points are given. A quarter of points will be awarded if a grand prix completes up to 25% of its scheduled distance, while it is half points for 26-50%. Finally, three-quarters of points will be awarded if 51-75% of the scheduled distance is done, while anything above that sees full points get awarded. 

This change came after the controversial 2021 Belgian Grand Prix, which was a two-lap procession behind the safety car because heavy rain made conditions unsafe. Despite that, half points were still awarded because all F1 needed at the time was to complete two laps – it did not matter if conditions were green or not.

F1 world champions if current points system had always been used 

F1’s world champions list would also look very different had the current system been used since 1950. Under this system, Prost would be a six-time world champion with him taking the 1984 crown off Lauda and the 1989 championship from Senna. 

That means, unlike the proposed system, Piquet remains a three-time world champion as the 1981 championship also does not go to Reutemann. The other changes remain the same as what they are under the proposed system.

F1 points system costs 

Red Bull dominated the 2023 season by winning a record-breaking 21 of 22 grands prix, yet such unprecedented success did not come without its cost. It meant Red Bull paid the FIA $7,445,817 to compete in the 2024 season, which is the highest entry fee ever given by an F1 constructor. 

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing

Photo by: Red Bull Content Pool

This is because a team must pay money for every point it scores during the season. Currently, a point is worth $6575 for nine of 10 teams, while the constructors’ champions must pay $7893 per point. This means Red Bull gave the FIA $6,787,980 on top of the $657,837 base fee for scoring 860 points in 2023.  

Red Bull therefore paid almost double what Mercedes did, as the 2023 runners-up gave $3,347,012 for entry into the 2024 F1 season with last-placed Haas giving the FIA the least at $736,737. 

Such a system was introduced in 2013 as part of a revised Concorde Agreement where the base fee started at $500,000 plus $5000 per point scored, with the constructors’ champion paying $6000 but inflation has since caused it to rise.  

So, if the proposed system gets introduced, the FIA should receive extra money from teams entering the 2026 season due to more positions offering points. It shouldn’t have too much of an impact on the bigger teams, but it certainly will on the slower constructors who have a smaller budget because now they will pay more to enter the championship.   

The table below shows what teams would have paid for the 2024 season had the proposed system been in use for 2023. 

The table below shows what teams would have paid for the 2024 season had the proposed system been in use for 2023. 

History of F1’s points system

Newey has decided to leave Red Bull after a two-decade stint as the team’s stalwart designer, playing an instrumental role in designing the cars that propelled Sebastian Vettel and Max Verstappen to a total of seven drivers’ world championships and six constructors’ titles for Red Bull.

The news of Newey’s impending departure was first reported by German outlet Auto Motor und Sport and since been confirmed to Autosport by sources with knowledge of the situation.

Despite only signing a fresh Red Bull deal last year, Newey’s future at the Milton Keynes squad has been the subject of intense speculation in recent weeks.

Red Bull is still embroiled in an ongoing internal power struggle between the Thai side of the business, which supports team principal Christian Horner, and the Austrian side including team advisor Helmut Marko.

The issue came to a head at the start of the 2024 season after an internal investigation into allegations of misconduct by Horner against a female member of staff, a probe which dismissed the claims against the 50-year-old.

Newey is understood to be unsettled by Red Bull’s situation and the saga around Horner, which has led to a shock decision to inform the team management that he has decided to walk out.

Adrian Newey, Chief Technology Officer, Red Bull Racing, speaks with Christian Horner, Team Principal, Red Bull Racing

Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images

The news presents a huge blow for Red Bull, which is currently cruising to another world championship with Verstappen and its dominant RB20.

Verstappen still has a contract with the squad until the end of 2028, but made it clear in recent weeks that his future of the team heavily depends of all the “pillars” of its success remaining in place.

The Dutchman is informally known to have an exit clause in his deal in case Marko leaves the organisation, but it is not known if he has a similar option for a departure by Newey.

Newey’s next move is not yet known. As previously reported by Autosport, the 65-year-old received a big-money offer from Aston Martin owner Lawrence Stroll over the Saudi Grand Prix weekend.

He has also long been admired by Ferrari, whose advances he has repeatedly turned down in the past.

The terms of Newey’s gardening leave are understood to be the subject of further talks.

Previously, Newey designed the Williams that helped Damon Hill win the 1996 world championship. He then moved to McLaren, where he also found success conceiving Mika Hakkinen’s championship winning cars in 1998 and 1999.

He stayed with the Woking team until Red Bull convinced him to join its ambitious project in 2006.