[MartZubok]

I hate, hate, hate this idea!

All the websites and magazines and forums will now be full of threads of the actual (medal) orders, and then what WOULD have been the situation had the points system remained unchanged - "Oh Massa is 1st but he would have been 4th etc, etc."

From Bernies latest quotes below, it seems this has now all but been confirmed by the FIA and teams and just needs to be officially confirmed at the FIAs December meeting -

So next year we have the but-ugliest looking F1 cars ever and tacky instead of points....will the drivers still get trophys in lieu of medals on the podium?

==============================








http://en.f1-live.com/f1/en/headline...18091013.shtml

Points system to be scrapped
Medal system for the 2009 season
18/11/08 09:10

Bernie Ecclestone is confident his plan to replace the current points system with Olympic Games-style 'medals' will be introduced in time for the 2009 season opener.

The F1 Chief Executive revealed recently he wants the drivers on the podium to be presented gold, silver and bronze medals, rather than awarded ten, eight and six points respectively.

The change, he argues, will rid the sport of the situation of the 2008 series finale in Brazil, where Lewis Hamilton was able to finish just fifth and still be crowned world champion.

If Ecclestone's new system had been in place, the McLaren driver and Felipe Massa would have been tied on five gold medals apiece, setting up a dash to be first to the chequered flag and the title.

It is believed that points will still be awarded to the teams for the constructors' championship on the basis of the current system.

Drivers finishing races 'out of the medals', meanwhile, will not score points, but their finishing positions over the season will determine their championship ranking.


Ecclestone, 78, told The Times: "The FIA and all the teams are behind it and it will be done."

He insists that the system will ensure that the emphasis of the front-running drivers' approach to races will be on winning, rather than scoring good points.

"The whole point will be, when they get to Melbourne for the first race, the guys will want to leave there with a gold medal. They (will not) want to leave with ten, eight or six points," Ecclestone said.

The matter has been discussed by FIA President Max Mosley, but the details are yet to be worked out.

Ecclestone's system will require ratification by the World Motor Sport Council at its December meeting.

Source: GMM
© CAPSIS International

[MartZubok]

Bernie says that this is to put emphasis on the top guys to win rather than settle for points.

Problem is, not everyone is a "top guy" or in a podium winning car so what is the motivation for drivers in the now very competitive F1 midfield?

To race for 'classification' rather than 'points' - just seems so unneccasary!

OK, Lewis won the title by only crossing the line in 5th but.....SO WHAT?!!!!!!!

This is a title which runs over a WHOLE SEASON and it was just a point that he finished 5th in that race, he still won others which put him in that position for the title in the first place.

Massa finished races lower than 1st and so if he won the title in Brazil by finished 1st, it just would have been the chance that the 1st occured at the final race to make it all the more dramatic.

A championship is one over a WHOLE SEASON and not a SINGLE RACE.

An F1 season is not a 'RACE OF CHAMPIONS' style shoot-out and never will be




LEAVE THINGS ALONE!!!

[blackjackiisre]

Perhaps they will have 8 medals per race?

Gold
Silver
Bronze
Steel
Aluminium
Cast Iron
Plastic
Paper Mache

[Oppofeescom]

Idiocy. His senility has caught up to him.

If a championship being decided on the last lap is not good enough, then nothing will be.

He can change the points system if he must. Medals will add nothing. Only take away the tradition of the sport. But that's the way it seems to be these days.

[beriarele]

Bernie says that this is to put emphasis on the top guys to win rather than settle for points.

I can understand that. It's the Olympic argument isn't it. Hundreds, thousands, of athletes aim to win a gold medal but they and we know very few will reach that goal, but that doesn't stop them from trying.

Problem is, not everyone is a "top guy" or in a podium winning car so what is the motivation for drivers in the now very competitive F1 midfield?

The motivation is to improve and get into the top three.

I haven't decided what I think about this. It's still effectively a points system after all, but one which only rewards the top three.

[Oppofeescom]

The 10-6-4-3-2-1 points scheme never seemed to promote cruising for points. I don't see why that can't just be reverted to instead of this medals rubbish.

[luspikals]

How tacky. Oh how I yearn for him to go away.

[GSgCGxsF]

So will a driver with 1 gold and no other medals finish the season higher that a driver with no golds but 10 silvers?

If this system was in place in 08 would DC with one 3rd finish higher than Webber?

[haudraufwienix]

God what a horrific idea...so you get a medal and a trophy in one ceremony?!?

[blackjackiisre]

So will a driver with 1 gold and no other medals finish the season higher that a driver with no golds but 10 silvers?

If this system was in place in 08 would DC with one 3rd finish higher than Webber?

Apparently

[casinoboneerer]

Bernie says that this is to put emphasis on the top guys to win rather than settle for points.

Problem is, not everyone is a "top guy" or in a podium winning car so what is the motivation for drivers in the now very competitive F1 midfield?

To race for 'classification' rather than 'points' - just seems so unneccasary!

OK, Lewis won the title by only crossing the line in 5th but.....SO WHAT?!!!!!!!

This is a title which runs over a WHOLE SEASON and it was just a point that he finished 5th in that race, he still won others which put him in that position for the title in the first place.

Massa finished races lower than 1st and so if he won the title in Brazil by finished 1st, it just would have been the chance that the 1st occured at the final race to make it all the more dramatic.

A championship is one over a WHOLE SEASON and not a SINGLE RACE.

An F1 season is not a 'RACE OF CHAMPIONS' style shoot-out and never will be




LEAVE THINGS ALONE!!!

calm down nothing is for sure

[quorceopporce]

A horrible idea. I thought it was an April Fool, and am dead against it.

[beriarele]

I was watching a video about Damon Hill's championship season recently and during his commentary Murray Walker mentioned how rare it was that a WDC went down to the final race of the year.

It may have been rare then, but it has become increasingly common recently, and much of that is down to the points system, particulary the narrower points gap between 1st & 2nd which was introduced at the start of the 2003 season (IIRC). Of course there are those who argue that that change was purely aimed at negating MS's advantage, but it has undoubtedly close up the WDC.

Perhaps it has done that to the extent of encouraging consistent points finishes, not wins. A win, comparatively, is not as valued as it was in terms of the points race.

Bernie's idea attempts to address that, and place the emphasis on winning races being the deciding factor. I'm not sure that's wrong as such, but perhaps it is too radical an idea.

[Immampdah]

Another move to make F1 more of a show and less of a motorsport!
More show => more tv audience => more money for the mop head greedy little gnome.
Why is that I'm not at all surprised?

Tell you what, F1 is going to die if Bernie doesn't leave. Times are changing, people's view of thing are changing too, but Bernie is way to old and slowed by his senility and greed to see all this happening.

This crisis we are going through now is gonna change some things dramatically (let's hope it will be in the right direction).

Max has been taking some steps in the right direction by trying to paint a greener image of F1 and this might help, but not as long as the midget is pulling in the wrong direction.

[theonsushv]

did they not change to points with 8 points after michael won the title so early in the year. why not just go back to 10 6 4

[Immampdah]

why not just go back to 10 6 4

That would make to much logic! In today's world you need to "change" no matter if it's good or not cause some will still buy it because it's "new"!

[beriarele]

why not just go back to 10 6 4

Perhaps because WDC's could again be won "too soon". There no doubt that a last race title decider generates more interest than if the title is settled with a number of races to go, but awarding medals wouldn't necessarily solve that particular issue.

[drugsprevi]

This is a stupid idea. One of the more interesting things for me is the points battle.

This will just eliminate 17 drivers from caring in every race.

It's not A1 GP. However at least they get points as well as medals.

[Luisabens]

so 17 race season, Hamilton wins the first 9 races, with Massa second in each, then Massa wins the remaining 8 and Hamilton fails to finish at all, but takes the title 9 golds to 8, although in points Massa would be streets ahead (152 - 90)? also the title would be dead at 9 wins, regardless of the races left, even if someone could theoretically take more points

very simplistic, but stranger things have happened (last lap in Brazil anyone)

[awagsFare]

Idiocy. His senility has caught up to him.

If a championship being decided on the last lap is not good enough, then nothing will be.

He can change the points system if he must. Medals will add nothing. Only take away the tradition of the sport. But that's the way it seems to be these days.

I am shedding tears for what is becoming of my favorite sport
this downturn has been dramatic and swift.

And the saddest part of it all is that field of drivers is the strongest in a long time top to bottom. All these guys, Hamilton, Alonso, Massa, Kimi, Webber, Kubica, Vettel, Glock, Trulli and even heidfeld and Kovy, will have to endure a fading legacy of the sport and compete in an era where nonsensical rules and changes diminish their place in the history of the sport.

Hamilton may be the last champion in an era of great cars and traditional F1 rules.

Let's be clear about MM and Bernie’s intentions.

Bernie doesn't care a damn bit about the legacy, thee sport or the racing. He cares about money and how to maximize his profits. It matters not that he throw out tradition or common sense. to be replaced by sheer madness.

MM is motivated by power, the lust for it, the thrill of being the emperor along with resistance to any challenge of his decrees, using his position to exact revenge on long held perceived slights and clinging on to power even when his presence is more of a burden to the sport.

The only antidote for this madness may be the current economic crisis that will smack a dose of reality into both of them and the eventual departure of all the teams to form their own sane racing league.

I'll watch that and they can keep their F1 name