Pole Position, Fastest Lap to Score Points in 2010

As confirmed by the International Automobile Federation (FIA) earlier this month, the Formula One point-system will likely suffer some important changes in the upcoming season of 2010. However, despite recent reports that the new format will be MotoGP-style, it has now emerged that some other modifications are to be submitted by the F1 teams to the FIA in January.

It was Ferrari's team principal Stefano Domenicali who revealed the news, in an interview with Italian newspaper La Stampa. According to the Italian official, the teams want the pole sitter and the driver who scores the fastest lap on Sunday to be awarded championship points.

Such a format is currently adopted by championships like the IndyCar Series or the GP2 Series.

“Yes. The scoring is likely to be revised; there is a proposal to reward the pole position and the fastest lap of the race,” Domenicali was quoted as saying to the aforementioned publication.

Following the FIA's latest statement, it was widely acknowledged that the new point-scoring system will see the winner grab 25 points, while the podium finishers would score 20 and 15 points respectively. This way, the Top 10 finishers would all get to score points race after race, rather than the Top 8.

The measure was taken by the FIA because of the higher number of cars on the F1 grid in 2010 – 26, as compared to 20 in 2009. However, unless all the members of the Formula One Teams Association (FOTA) agree with the new changes, the new format will not make the season opener in Bahrain.