When the FIA’s World Motor Sport Council first floated the thought of awarding a brand new bonus level for the driving force who units the quickest lap in a grand prix, RaceFans requested you ways you felt in regards to the thought.
Two-thirds of you both barely or strongly disagreed with the thought, with simply 25% both barely or strongly agreeing with the thought of giving a bonus level to the driving force who units the quickest lap within the race.
Nevertheless, the FIA apparently didn’t take the ideas of RaceFans readers under consideration as they promptly permitted the proposal and launched the purpose for quickest lap for the beginning of that season. Throughout that 12 months’s summer time break, RaceFans requested you what you felt of the rule after 12 rounds to guage it. This time, slightly below half of you believed the bonus level had not made the racing extra thrilling, whereas 36% of you agreed, to a point, that it had.
However now, after five-and-a-half seasons within the sport, the quickest lap has been introduced again underneath the highlight as soon as once more. Final weekend in Singapore, Daniel Ricciardo was referred to as in to the pits within the closing laps of the race to suit almost-new delicate tyres and snatch the quickest lap from race chief Lando Norris. Though RB staff principal Laurent Mekies insisted after the race it had purely been a goodwill gesture to their departing driver – regardless of zero recognition over the remainder of the weekend that this might be Ricciardo’s final grand prix – the truth that Ricciardo denied Norris a degree in his pursuit of Pink Bull driver Max Verstappen rubbed many followers the unsuitable approach.
So with the quickest lap bonus level producing loads of dialogue as soon as extra, it’s pretty much as good a time as any to see the way you, the followers, really feel about this component of the game.
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F1’s strategy
System 1’s present quickest lap rule stays the identical because it was when first launched earlier than the beginning of the 2019 season. Article 6.2 of F1’s sporting rules states that “one level can be awarded to the driving force who achieved the quickest legitimate lap time of the race and to the constructor whose automobile he was driving, supplied he was within the high ten positions of the ultimate race classification”.
The rule additionally clarifies that “no level can be awarded if the quickest legitimate lap time is achieved by a driver who was categorized outdoors the highest ten positions, or if the chief has accomplished lower than 50% of the scheduled race distance.”.
To date in 2024, there have been 14 quickest lap bonus factors awarded over the 18 rounds, with a bonus level not awarded in China, Miami, Austria and Singapore because the drivers who set the quickest lap in these races completed outdoors of the highest ten.
What alternate options are there?
There are two apparent means by which the quickest lap rule might be modified that will keep away from additional controversies as was seen in Singapore final weekend.
The primary can be to easily prolong the bonus level eligibility to all categorized finishers, irrespective of their ending place. That might supply groups decrease down the order, like Sauber, extra possibilities to battle for factors when combating for the highest ten is proving particularly troublesome this 12 months with an unprecedented excessive reliability fee.
Nevertheless, there’s an apparent downside with that. In the direction of the ends of races – assuming a driver in direction of the entrance has not made a late cease for contemporary tyres and certain already cemented quickest lap – there can be a rush of vehicles outdoors the highest ten pitting for softs to show the tip of the race into an impromptu qualifying session. Not solely may that probably disrupt late battles on the entrance, it additionally may make for some pretty farcical scenes on the end of races and encourage groups like Sauber to protect their vehicles by a race particularly for a late run on the quickest lap, moderately than truly racing.
Alternatively, the quickest lap bonus level may merely go to the driving force who lap of the race out of the highest ten finishers, moderately than not being awarded in any respect. Drivers who set the general quickest lap may nonetheless be introduced with the award from Pirelli and have their lap posted on social media to point out everybody what job they did, however the precise level would go to whichever driver within the high ten had achieved the quickest lap time as an alternative.
Which will appear a extra deserving strategy to handing out the bonus level as it would possible be to a driver who was combating the whole race for his or her high ten place, however it could additionally assist to forestall any additional controversies if an RB driver simply so occurs to ‘steal’ the quickest lap level away from their senior staff’s championship rivals.
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I say
To be blunt, the quickest lap bonus level was by no means a good suggestion for System 1. It was ill-suited to the collection earlier than it was launched, has added little worth to the racing or the championship normally within the 5 seasons it has been in place and the occasions of final weekend introduced nothing optimistic to the race both.
The very fact is, giving a bonus level for the quickest lap in a grand prix has by no means made sense. It solely ever is smart in collection the place the races are sprints, the place rivals are, in principle, pushing as arduous as potential from the second the lights exit to the second their attain the chequered flag.
If it’s F1 Academy, System 3 and even System 2’s dash races, completely reward whoever units the quickest lap. In spite of everything, going as quick as potential is the purpose. Whoever does the very best lap with the identical circumstances, tyres and vehicles as the remainder of the sector deserves credit score for it – and a degree too.
However this rule feels prefer it’s been set by individuals who have by no means watched a grand prix earlier than. It fails to consider the varied methods in play in a race and the quantity of administration a driver should do to maintain their tyres completely satisfied as they goal to succeed in the chequered flag within the shortest period of time potential. Hardly any drivers in a grand prix – if any in any respect – are going flat out throughout a race, in any other case they’ll possible be compelled to make an additional pit cease and end a number of positions decrease than they might have carried out.
And that’s to not point out the truth that vehicles usually are not equal in System 1. More often than not, the drivers with the very best probability of scoring the quickest lap are, astonishingly sufficient, those that have the quickest vehicles on the grid. In commonest circumstances, the one probability a staff down the sector has of taking the quickest lap is by making a late swap for delicate tyres.
Is it satisfying to look at drivers put racing to 1 facet simply to pursue the quickest lap like they’re making an attempt to unlock a trophy in a PlayStation sport? Is it actually that thrilling to look at Max Verstappen or Lewis Hamilton pit with two laps remaining with a 30 second lead for a final lap glory run? Is the quickest lap bonus level one thing that makes the game higher?
The reply to all these questions isn’t any.
You say
What do you suppose System 1 ought to do in regards to the quickest lap bonus level? Ought to it’s stored the identical, be modified or be gotten rid of all collectively? Have you ever say on this weekend’s ballot.
Which might you like for F1’s quickest lap bonus level sooner or later?
- No opinion (0%)
- Take away the quickest lap level totally (0%)
- Amend the rule so solely the quickest driver within the high 10 scores the purpose (0%)
- Amend the rule to make all ending positions eligible to attain the purpose (0%)
- Maintain the quickest lap bonus level rule as it’s (0%)
Whole Voters: 0
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