Massa won the WDC - or at least that's the Ferrari spin

[woof]

Luca di Montezemolo has told an Italian newspaper that F1 needs a new scoring system.

When asked what his first rules change would be if he was in charge of Formula One, the Ferrari President told La Stampa: "Instantly, the points score for the (race) winner."

"Massa won six races (in 2008), Hamilton five, but the Englishman is the Champion," Montezemolo remarked, despite earlier saying in an official statement that Hamilton's drivers' title was "well deserved".

It is true that, under the pre-2003 points scoring system, Ferrari's Felipe Massa would have won the 2008 World Championship by two points.

In 2002 and before, Grand Prix winners received 10 points compared with 6 points for second. Today, the winner's margin is just 2 points, as the runner-up takes 8 points while third place claims 6.

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He has a point though - we'll actually he would of preferred massa to have a point

They can't stop winging about it can they !

[Mat Hammond]

It would be interesting to see what the score would have been last season, based on the old system.

[mikee boy]

I could come up with a points system that meant Jenson Button won!

Actually, I could come up with one that meant that I won. All hail me, the new King of F1.

If you don't like the points system fk off to a different sport where you do!

[steveysmith]

well technically Massa won 6 and Hamilton 5, but Massa somehow managed to win a race without leading a single metre of it and crossing the line 2nd! We all know Hamilton won 6 and Massa 5 and pre 2003 Lewis wouldve won by 6 points

[mchammer89]

Not involving the past years and who might've won with which scoring system, I still think they should go back to the old one, for the fact that there's a bigger gap between winning and 2nd, most of the people on here agree too.

[Fire99]

I've no issue with changing the scoring system to put a bigger gap between 1st and 2nd in the points department...
But at the end of the day for every season everyone abides by the same rules.

I'm not going to start digging at Ferrari as any article can be spun in a number of directions.. Plus the translation added to the swing.

I'm just pleased L.H won the drivers and i think the Constructors was well deserved by Ferrari.

[skinny]

i don't like the current system as it gives too little incentive for overtaking and going for the win, but it's better than bernie's idea of awarding medals (apparently bernie thinks the drivers will like medals - he might have been on heavy medication at the time)

[absolutely]

Keke Rosberg won the 1982 WDC with only winning once!

[profstoff]

skinny said:

... he might have been on heavy medication at the time)

I think it's more likely he forgot his Altzheimer's medication that day

[woof]

The reason for the current system is to stop runaway leaders in the championship table and to stop someone wining the title midway through the season.

I don't there's much wrong with the point system

The problem lay elsewhere - especially qualifying. I still hate the race fuel runs in Q3 - it seldom makes much difference to the result.

It was more mixed up in the old days, when it was an open hour, the last minute runs for pole were awesome - and occasionally someone would screw it up - or conditions would change.

Of course it was changed for TV exposure - which is understandable but still crap

[sidewayz]

Ungratefull bunch of whingers,after all the help they had from the FIA as well.

[Paul Dishman]

Perhaps Luca would like to give Sir Stirling a ring and award him the 1958 WDC on the grounds that he won more races than Mike Hawthorn did

[BRE77M]

you tube special massa wins the title with help from alonso

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=JZPpSL9_SNM

[mchammer89]

woof said:

The reason for the current system is to stop runaway leaders in the championship table and to stop someone wining the title midway through the season.

I don't there's much wrong with the point system

The problem lay elsewhere - especially qualifying. I still hate the race fuel runs in Q3 - it seldom makes much difference to the result.

It was more mixed up in the old days, when it was an open hour, the last minute runs for pole were awesome - and occasionally someone would screw it up - or conditions would change.

Of course it was changed for TV exposure - which is understandable but still crap

Yeah but now we don't have a situation where one driver is winning the vast majority of the races, so following logic (and obviously that is the reason it hasn't been done yet) we should go back to the old system.

Oh, and I agree with the old quali session, much better, although to casual viewers, every bit of the quali session is full of action, which I guess was what you were saying about TV exposure.

[NathanE]

Dear old Luca is forgetting that Massa was gifted the win at Spa by the FIA... Without that happening (which is another big IF to add to his list) then Hamilton would have had more wins than Massa.

[ian feltell]

you had me there

BRE77M said:

you tube special massa wins the title with help from alonso

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=JZPpSL9_SNM

[RJB_666]

I'm just waiting for the FIA to announce that they're changing the points system and therefore taking the championship off Lewis. This wouldn't surprise me. I think that Ferrari have no right to come out with this. Like others have said Massa was gifted the win in Spa. I would love to see an update of the points if Lewis hadn't of been given the unfair penalties.

[zac510]

woof said:

The problem lay elsewhere - especially qualifying. I still hate the race fuel runs in Q3 - it seldom makes much difference to the result.

I guess they like the occasional wildcard like Trulli getting up into 2nd on lowish fuel.

[Derek Smith]

The WDC is an illusion, an invention to keep the interest in the sport alive. It's a clever little trick but they don't have it in golf or tennis with each tournament being a championship in its own right.

Some motor races stand on their own, like Le Mans, but it is a lot to ask us to get enthusiastic about Valencia each year.

The new points system was brought in to try and keep it alive till the end of the season. Other methods have included having to discount two scores - where's the logic in that?

My preferred option would be the number of wins and, in the event of a draw, the number of seconds, etc. But that said, you play to the rules. If it was to be wins then tactics would, I assume, have been different on all sides and the results would have been different.

[zac510]

Derek Smith said:

The new points system was brought in to try and keep it alive till the end of the season. Other methods have included having to discount two scores - where's the logic in that?

That's still used occasionally in national/club level where the teams mightn't be able to afford to attend every round, where 20 years ago in F1 that was the case too. No reason for that in F1 now, though!