McLaren has suggested Formula 1 look to the past by implementing an old championship points system to boost the number of races possible in 2020.
Up until 1978 for the Constructors’ and 1990 for the Drivers’ standings, the sport had what was known as ‘dropped scores’ which meant only the best certain number of results contributed to the championship results.
For example, in the final season it was used 30 years ago, only the best 11 results were counted from the 16 races, this is why Ayrton Senna won the title with 78 points, seven ahead of Alain Prost with 71, even though the Frenchman had scored 73 across the full season.
In this situation, F1 could use the dropped points system to help teams if they were unable to take part in races, such as McLaren who withdrew from the Australian Grand Prix before the event itself was cancelled.
“Given where we are right now, we need to make some sacrifices,” said CEO Zak Brown in the latest Sky Sports Vodcast.
“Speaking for McLaren, if we were not able to race, I would do exactly what I did in Australia and withdraw the team because you’ve got to put the safety of your people first.
“But if ultimately Formula 1 and the teams felt comfortable that the issue that we had was contained to just our garage and they felt it was safe to go racing I would not stand in the way.
Also Read:
- McLaren’s F1 future isn’t guaranteed: ‘We don’t have an unlimited chequebook’
- McLaren slams opposition to budget cap cut but Ferrari warns against ’emotional’ changes
- Verstappen & Red Bull tipped to benefit from shorter F1 season
“It would be unfortunate, but maybe we could have a discussion with Formula 1 where [like] back in the good old days, you could drop a couple of races.
“Let’s say we get back to 15 races, maybe we do something where your best 13 races counted.
“If you had something like that, we’re not holding back the sport but we’re also not being penalised.”
This could also help teams like Ferrari and AlphaTauri, who could face a tougher situation being prepared to return to racing if the situation in Italy, which is improving, worsened again.
The suggestion also comes as F1 bosses try to reschedule as many as 19 races from the 2020 calendar, with six races in seven weeks starting from July.
And while most believe that plan is ambitious, F1 motorsport boss Ross Brawn says the decision will be based on judgement.
“People are going to have to get back to work at some point,” he was quoted by The Race.
“[It’s not] 100% clear when we do that, if we wait until it’s 100% clear that the vaccine has been invented and everyone’s been vaccinated? What point in time in the future is that?
“So there will be some degree of judgement involved in when it is fair and correct for people to go back to work and for people to engage in the things they did before, perhaps with a lot more precautions than they took before.
“But there’s a massive social and economic impact of this disease and that’s got to be taken into consideration as well in terms of deciding when the best time to go back.
“We just need to find the balance that enables some form of normality to come again.
“Sports are a great factor in people’s wellbeing, it entertains them engages them and there also positive emotions about sport,” Brawn added.
“We employ thousands of people. If the sport collapses, there’s thousands and thousands of people out of work, so we have to find a way through it.
“It won’t be digital in the sense one day it’s OK, it will be a transition we’ll have to manage as carefully as possible to minimise the risk.”
