SHANGHAI, CHINA – APRIL 21: Max Verstappen, from the Netherlands, driving the (1) Oracle Red Bull Racing RB20, leads the pack into turn one at the start during the Formula 1 Chinese Grand Prix at the Shanghai International Circuit on April 21, 2024 in Shanghai, China. (Photo by Lintao Zhang/Getty Images)
The Formula One Commission, composed of the 10 teams, the FIA (International Automobile Federation), and the commercial rights holder, announced its decision after a virtual meeting held in Geneva. The FIA stated that during the meeting, the commission members discussed a proposal to change the distribution of championship points, as described in articles 6.4 and 6.5 of the sporting regulations. They agreed that further analysis of the proposed changes was necessary and that a proposal would be presented at the F1 Commission meeting in July. For the change to be implemented for the 2025 season, at least six teams must vote in favor, with the smaller teams supporting the measure. Some of the larger teams indicated they would not oppose the proposal. Red Bull team principal, Christian Horner, shared his thoughts on the matter, highlighting the division within Formula 1 between teams ranked 1 to 5 and those ranked 6 to 10. He also mentioned the importance of analyzing the potential impact of the changes and the financial implications for the teams. Horner remained impartial, except when it came to the distribution of points money. After five races this season, three teams have yet to score points, while Red Bull Racing, RB, has only managed seven points, and Haas has five. The top half of the teams are in a league of their own, with Red Bull leading with 195 points and Aston Martin in fifth place with 40 points. The commission also agreed to introduce rear-facing cameras on the cars starting from the Spanish Grand Prix in June, which will provide new angles for TV coverage. Additionally, several minor changes were made to the sporting and financial regulations. It was decided that Formula One Management would present to the commission the proposed dates and locations for next year’s pre-season tests. Finally, it was announced that the 2025 F1 Championship would begin in Australia instead of Bahrain, which hosted this year’s pre-season test, due to Ramadan. (Reporting by Alan Baldwin)
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