1 point to be given to the fastest lap starting in AUS

[cooken]

This whole thing is bananas.

The commentators will indeed have a field day with this....so I guess if that's the primary motivation then likely mission accomplished. But it is totally divorced from an attempt to improve actual racing in my opinion.

[Godius]

Just read an interesting conspiracy theory about this fastest lap point. If you recall Liberty's move into in-race betting - the theory being that making fastest lap a talking point gets more people to bet on who will achieve it.

this....although, I'd say less conspiracy and more sound business sense!

On a separate not though, Big Tea just mentioned about a recovery drive etc between p11/p10. Is the fastest lap still stand if you set the fastest lap from outside the top 10 but finished inside the top 10? Doesn't make much diff but makes a bit of a mockery.

I'm thinking of a car 1 lap down, safety car comes out, pits for fresh tyres, gets let through the pack and foot down clear track infront, no threat from behind. Sets fastest lap and comes through to finish top 10. Just seems strange that that could be rewarded with an additional point.



**edit**
Just checked the FIA F1 '19 Sporting Regs and answered some of my own questions so thought I'd share:

1st = 25 points
...
10th = 1 point

In addition to the above, one point will be awarded to the driver who achieved the fastest lap
of the race and to the constructor whose car he was driving, provided the lap time was
achieved without incurring a penalty and he was in the top ten positions of the final race
classification (see Article 45). No point will be awarded if the fastest lap is achieved by a driver
who was classified outside the top ten positions.

So P11-P20 could prevent any fastest lap point being awarded. (that's how I read it)

Thanks for figuring this out. I had this question in my mind as well.

[AJI]

How many races have we watched drivers trundling around in procession being ordered to nurse thier cars. The only hope of gaining extra points is by going for a risky pass (generally against the team's wishes), or the hope of a failure or mistake from positions ahead.
The 1 point FL rule introduces a risk for reward incentive in a sport that has become increasingly risk averse.
It probably should be 2 points...

[Ringleheim]

The driver with the fastest lap is already rewarded, it’s called Pole position, what on earth do they hope to gain from this?

How would this increase the spectacle... it’s not as if anybody watching would be able to tell the car went 1 seconded faster round a lap is it

I hope the common sense prevails & this stupied idea fails at the final hurdle

Consider a race that is really boring with little movement at the front and there are only a few laps to go. Someone in 9th place has a 40 second lead on whoever is in 10th; he reckons he can come in, put on new soft tires, get out, and rejoin in 9th place...and do a barn burner for that extra point, which means a lot for a guy who normally is doing well to finish 9th.

The cameras would know he came in for a stop, see what he was doing, and maybe follow him around on his flying lap to see if he can do it. Could add some type of spectacle to an otherwise boring end of a race. It would require a little help/cooperation from the TV people and they would have to be paying attention.

I don't have a problem with this at all. It also rewards success in that if a top driver has a great weekend and puts it on pole, wins, and does a fastest lap, he gets a little more separation from the guy in second position.

I'd much rather get rid of DRS before this, if we are going to attack artificial gimmicks in the sport.

[Ringleheim]

How many races have we watched drivers trundling around in procession being ordered to nurse thier cars. The only hope of gaining extra points is by going for a risky pass (generally against the team's wishes), or the hope of a failure or mistake from positions ahead.
The 1 point FL rule introduces a risk for reward incentive in a sport that has become increasingly risk averse.
It probably should be 2 points...

Agreed. If anything changes with this rule as we see how it is implemented, maybe it will be the points awarded. I.E., if it doesn't create any excitement late in races, maybe they will increase the incentive to help modify driver/team behavior.

I like the way you are thinking here. There are an awful lot of really boring F1 races, particularly in the final stages when things have settled down, gaps between cars are large, and the final running order is more or less cemented.

The guy toward the back of the top 10 coming in for fresh rubber and the banzai charge for an extra point seems like good entertainment to me, and I watch these races to be entertained.

[the EDGE]

The driver with the fastest lap is already rewarded, it’s called Pole position, what on earth do they hope to gain from this?

How would this increase the spectacle... it’s not as if anybody watching would be able to tell the car went 1 seconded faster round a lap is it

I hope the common sense prevails & this stupid idea fails at the final hurdle

Consider a race that is really boring with little movement at the front and there are only a few laps to go. Someone in 9th place has a 40 second lead on whoever is in 10th; he reckons he can come in, put on new soft tires, get out, and rejoin in 9th place...and do a barn burner for that extra point, which means a lot for a guy who normally is doing well to finish 9th.

The cameras would know he came in for a stop, see what he was doing, and maybe follow him around on his flying lap to see if he can do it. Could add some type of spectacle to an otherwise boring end of a race. It would require a little help/cooperation from the TV people and they would have to be paying attention.

Really? That would excite you?

To see a car with a big gap to the one behind pit, then go a couple of seconds quicker which you wouldn't even be able to comprehend whilst watching , and then he would still be way further back from from the car he was following any way

If there was a chance he could overtake the car in front surely he pit for fresh tyres anyway and chase him down and have a go at getting past, because unless he was in 10th, that would be worth twice the points anyway

[the EDGE]

https://www.racefans.net/2019/03/16/dri ... lap-point/

I just had a thought, maybe they should get MaxFactor X make-up to sponsor this award instead of DHL, I have a feeling if the above is true then Verstappen will probably collect quite a few of these points after all

[Nickel]

It occurred to me while looking at stats for the aus gp that the real reason for this might be a bit different than a lot of the chatter leads one to believe.

the in race lap record for Albert park is ~4 seconds slower than today's pole lap record. A late stop for fresh rubber on low fuel will almost certainly yield a new lap record. All but Williams have a realistic chance of beating it given the right conditions.

Therefore, in my view, a not insignificant reason for bringing this change is to set new records as well as reduce the talk surrounding the difference between quali times and fastest race times. The unused potential of the cars in-race has been a big talking point for many over the last few seasons.

Make of that what you will.

[AJI]

...
the in race lap record for Albert park is ~4 seconds slower than today's pole lap record...

We might just see a new track record today..?

[TAG]

No apologies necessary fellas. No shame in being utterly wrong about something.

[AJI]

No apologies necessary fellas. No shame in being utterly wrong about something.

I'm glad you're taking it so well

[Nickel]

No apologies necessary fellas. No shame in being utterly wrong about something.

1:25.5 on old rubber. Had one of the top 3 teams pitted in the last 5 laps i still think there's a good possibility someone could've beat a 1:24.1

Either way, i still think we will see some in race track records from 2004 fall this year, right or wrong. No need to be a dick about it.

[avish]

The fastest lap point should be available to the leader or any driver who completes an on-track overtake for position after the first lap.

In my opinion, there should be more incentives for drivers to overtake and this way everybody will have one.

[strad]

I still say it makes more sense if applied all the way thru the field. IF say Williams is willing to pull out all stops and go for fastest lap and were able to capture it 15 times they could move up in the final standings and gain a bigger cut of the pay out. It would be a way for a mid-field team to get a few more bucks and help with their development for the next year. Don't ya think it would be worth the risk to a mid-field team?

[Just_a_fan]

I agree strad - it should be all or none. As it is, it's just another way of helping the top teams be more well funded. The guys at the back live and die by a handful of points either way so this should be open to them too.