Unveiled: Reason why F1 Removed the Fastest Lap Bonus Point
Feb.14 - Formula 1 axed the bonus point for fastest lap for the 2025 season because it was "controversial".
Last October, the FIA's World Motor Sport Council ratified the removal of the extra point for a top-10 finisher - but did not explain why.
Many suspected it was directly related to a highly controversial incident involving McLaren's Lando Norris in Singapore.
In that race, Daniel Ricciardo's late pitstop for new tyres in the Red Bull-owned Racing Bulls car, and subsequent fastest lap, deprived Norris of a much-needed point in his title fight with Max Verstappen.
"You know, it was Daniel's last race but it was also something to take away from me," Norris said at the time.
"If it was done with intent, then it's obviously not what we agree with. And I don't think something that Formula 1 would agree with either."
Months later, F1 has finally admitted that it was this sort of controversy that triggered the decision to scrap the fastest lap point.
In a post on its official website, Formula 1 explained: "Since 2019, a driver finishing in the top 10 could earn a bonus point by setting the fastest lap of the race.
"Sometimes that meant drivers would still be pushing late on trying to take the accolade, or even make late pitstops for fresh rubber to increase their return.
"But it also opened up the possibility for a car outside the top 10 to pit and take the point away from another driver, even if they weren't going to score themselves. And with the bonus sometimes proving a controversial topic, the decision was taken to remove it from the scoring system this year."
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They didn't even indrectly refer to what Ricciardo did, though, & if anything, the removal should've been done after the 2021 season as a reaction to Red Bull & Mercedes tactics of using their second drivers to take away the bonus point from a winning championship contender in Silverstone & Mexico City, respectively.
So instead of improving on a rule to eliminate controversy, they just bin it, take the easy option F1 unbelievable... but tbf we knew this was coming so not suprized
I'm glad it was eliminated. When virtually any driver can set the fastest lap near the race end with fresh tires it is truly meaningless. It inevitably became a tool for those not in the championship race to influence the title fight results as we have seen. I suppose they could have just removed the possibility of those out of the top ten from taking away the point but you would still have the same dynamic at play with the top ten. Better just to scrap it.
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