Formula 1’s governing body, the FIA, have made the surprising decision to scrap the fastest lap point for the 2025 season onwards.
The call came after a meeting of the World Motorsport Council in Paris on Thursday.
The fastest lap point became a big subject in SingaporeGetty
The extra point is awarded to the driver who sets the fastest lap in Sunday’s feature race, with the caveat that they have to finish in the top ten points scoring positions.
This led to controversy at the Singapore Grand Prix on September 22 when Daniel Ricciardo pitted for fresh tyres to take the point from race winner Lando Norris.
Norris is competing for the world title against Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, and the Visa Cash App RB Team that Ricciardo was racing for at the time are owned by Red Bull.
McLaren said they would investigate if this was a breach of FIA rules, but no protest has since been lodged.
Now, putting the subject back in the headlines, the FIA have scrapped the point in a statement which read: “Minor changes for 2024 and 2025 Sporting and Technical regulations were approved by the World Council, including the removal of the point awarded for setting the fastest lap.”
The FIA also added that from 2025, young drivers will be able to take part in two separate Friday practice sessions for the same team, up from the previous total of one.
The fastest lap rule has been in place since 2019, and is regularly used in other motorsport series.
Seen as a way to liven up races, drivers with little to play for regularly pit late on in races in order to claim a point, or in Ricciardo’s case, steal it from a challenger.
Originally considered a gimmick, the point won over many fans as it added an extra layer of complexity to the tactical side of the sport.
The 2021 championship between Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen, which was the closest in F1 history, regularly saw Red Bull and Mercedes battle over the point ahead of entering the decider level in the standings.
GettyThe point has spiced up the last stages of dull races with teams pit stopping[/caption]
In other series it’s been far more controversial. In fellow FIA series Formula E, the fastest lap point was available for the whole grid, which saw a bizarre finale in 2016.
Title contenders Sebastien Buemi and Lucas di Grassi started the race level in the standings.
But after a collision put them both out of regular points contention, they instead began a fastest lap shoot-out where they were both lapping behind the pack.
Like F1, the lap is now only available to point-scoring drivers, and the same applies for numerous other series like Formula 2, Formula 3, and the British Touring Car Championship.
