New F1 rules, points advance
Tuesday, Feb. 02, 2010
AP
Renault Formula One driver Robert Kubica of Poland steers his new car formula one racing during a test session at the Ricardo Tormo race track in Cheste, just outside Valencia, Spain Monday Feb. 1, 2010. (AP Photo/Alberto Saiz)
AP
Williams Formula One driver Rubens Barrichello of Brazil steers his new car formula one racing during a test session at the Ricardo Tormo race track in Cheste, just outside Valencia, Spain Monday Feb. 1, 2010. (AP Photo/Alberto Saiz)
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Ferrari Formula One driver Felipe Massa of Brazil steers his Formula One racing car during a test session at the Ricardo Tormo race track in Cheste, just outside Valencia, Spain, Monday, Feb. 1, 2010. (AP Photo/Alberto Saiz)
AP
Toro Rosso Formula One driver Sebastien Buemi of Switzerland steers his formula one racing car during a test session at the Ricardo Tormo race track in Cheste, just outside Valencia, Spain, Monday Feb. 1, 2010. (AP Photo/Daniel Ochoa de Olza)
AP
Ferrari Formula One driver Felipe Massa of Brazil steers his formula one racing car during a test session at the Ricardo Tormo race track in Cheste, just outside Valencia, Spain, Monday Feb. 1, 2010. (AP Photo/Daniel Ochoa de Olza)
VALENCIA, Spain – Formula One is set to formalize new regulations for the expanded 13-team championship that includes a points system that would reward the top 10 drivers while handing race winners 25 points.
Second-place drivers would earn 18 points, followed by 15, 12, 10, 8, 6, 4, 2 and 1 point, the sport's governing body FIA said Tuesday. Since 1993, it went 10, 8, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 and 1.
Jenson Button would still have captured the 2009 championship with the new system, but by a greater margin over Sebastian Vettel.
"It's a good decision to change this points system," Toro Rosso team principal Franz Tost said. "The reason for it is we are pushing for more overtaking maneuvers. We just hope this will be the case."
FIA is also proposing to have the top-10 race qualifiers start on their qualifying tires, while the rest of the field could use new tires. F1 will also reduce the number of dry weather tires available to teams to "encourage teams to run during the Friday practice sessions."
"We're not 100 percent sure on this yet," Tost said of having to race on the tires used in qualifying, although he did believe this would make races more interesting.
Measures to exclude the contentious double diffuser – a rear wing design that creates more downforce – from 2011 were also agreed on.
Teams protested against Brawn GP, Toyota and Williams last year over their interpretation of the diffuser rule after the design helped eventual constructors' champion Brawn pull away from the pack. However, the double diffuser was later cleared for use.
The proposals will be submitted to the World Motor Sport Council for approval within 48 hours, FIA said.
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