FIA: Ecclestone idea needs research

Eurosport - Fri, 12 Dec 19:02:00 2008

Bernie Ecclestone's idea to decide the Formula One drivers' title with Olympic-style medals rather than points needs further research, according to the FIA.

2008 Ecclestone - 0

"Market research is being conducted to gauge the public reaction to a number of new ideas, including possible changes to qualifying and a proposal for the substitution of medals for points for the drivers," the sport's governing body said.

"Proposals will be submitted to the FIA when the results of the market research are known."

Commercial supremo Ecclestone had proposed awarding race winners gold medals next season with the championship going to whoever won most, rather than the driver with the most points.

"I'm absolutely 100 per cent sure it's the right way to go, it'll get them (the drivers) overtaking," the 78-year-old Briton said last month.

McLaren's Lewis Hamilton became the sport's youngest champion by a single point at the age of 23 after finishing fifth in a nail biting final race in Brazil last month.

However, Ferrari's Felipe Massa, who won his home race in Brazil, would have been champion under a medals system since he had six victories to the Briton's five.

Under Ecclestone's Olympic-style system, the top three drivers in every grand prix would get gold, silver and bronze medals instead of 10, eight and six points.

Those who finished fourth and below would not get points towards the drivers' championship but their placings would count for the overall rankings.

Points would still be awarded for the constructors' championship.

Reuters

Comment 10 - 29 of 49

Sort comments by: Most recent

  1. You go to the pub, have a few drinks, come back, check­ the news, find out that some idiot has gone­ happy-go-lucky with the report button and your post has­ been pulled when you haven't been racist, sexist,­ offensive or abusive in any way. So to annoy whoever­ had my post removed, so I'll post a­ summary:

    Medals idea stupid, Massa only won 5 races,­ got awarded a 6th, he cannot overtake, can only win­ from front of grid when in best car, doesn't­ deserve championship because he can't race, Lewis­ showed more skill at Silverstone and Monza than Felipe­ showed all season.

    I apologise for the bluntness, but­ I don't have the effort to rewrite it in full and­ justify statements. I just really want to get up the­ nose of whoever decided I needed to be reported (and­ incidentally up the nose of Yahoo if possible for being­ too stupid to read what is being reported before they­ remove it).

    From ginger_gitt, on Sat 13 Dec 9:44PM

  2. Who are real cheats in F1 and have been for years and­ years? Some clues
    1) Their cars are red
    2) Their­ name is ferrari
    Now even the brainless ferrari fans­ might work that one out.

    From Major Bumsore, on Sat 13 Dec 9:22PM

  3. If the FIA wasn't taking wins from Hamilton and­ giving them to Massa then Hamiltom would have ended up­ as the drivers champion at the penultimate race and­ would have had one more win than Massa. When asked at­ the last race how so many titles go right down to the­ last race of the season Bernie said it takes a lot of­ planning, says it all really doesn't it?

    From GEORGE, on Sat 13 Dec 6:55PM

  4. --------------------------- I N V A L I D ­ -------------------- ! !! ! Q! ! !! ???

    From jestyn.thyme, on Sat 13 Dec 5:02PM

  5. Well Bernie has you all changing something that works­ allready. I like the present system. It works. I live­ in America and the Constution of America is a perty­ good bit of rule makeing. Short sweet and to the point.­ In rulemaking less is more. Keep it simple stupid. By­ the way does anybody know if the F1 rulebook in on the­ internet? I would like to read it.

    From X RACER, on Sat 13 Dec 3:57PM

  6. I wonder how much Bernie will spend on having the­ medals minted? Points cost nothing to award. Bernie­ ain't interested in cutting cost methinks.....Of­ course another cost cutting method would be to re-use­ the old Blue Peter badges..(get down Shep!)
    Sounds like­ the FIA dont agree with Bernies mind wanderings....i­ reckon he is looking for a knighthood.

    From justblowinoffsteam., on Sat 13 Dec 3:25PM

  7. The points system is the fairest way. It means the­ drivers in teams that don't have the development­ resources of the likes of McLaren and Ferrari have­ something to show for their efforts at the end of the­ season.

    From makosifan, on Sat 13 Dec 3:09PM

  8. The medals system makes the championship easier to fix­ for the FIA, They did all they could to stop Lewis­ Hamilton winning the World Title this year with the­ marshal's stupid decision's all the way through­ the season against Lewis Hamilton but failed thanks to­ Timo Glock's mistake

    From Woofit, on Sat 13 Dec 2:59PM

  9. Leave the points system as it is but make all the teams­ use the same car. This would make all the teams equal­ and leave the racing down to the skill of the the­ drivers, not on who spent the most money trying to­ bypass the regulations.

    From jeff, on Sat 13 Dec 2:50PM

  10. you would only need the top 6 cars to bother to turn up­ with this stupid idea. whats wrong with points anyway,­ all other motorsports use points. If anything, change­ it so that everyone who finishes gets points and just­ increase the differential between 1st/2nd, 2nd/3rd.­ Medals will not inmprove overtaking, only changes to­ tracks and cars areodynamics will do that.

    From paulhancock1123, on Sat 13 Dec 1:55PM

  11. tyomkka what does
    Pilots who are fighting for the­ title, should lose less than 10 points of championship­ leader.
    the hell mean and 3. makes even less sense?­ What r u on man?
    This is not the Red Bull air race!

    From Asif e Giv-a-Shee, on Sat 13 Dec 11:52AM

  12. wolfy what a pr@t thats basically the current system­ just doubled ding @#$%.

    From Asif e Giv-a-Shee, on Sat 13 Dec 11:45AM

  13. Well we can all hope D.Bristow just a shame that his­ anarchy really pisses me off.

    From f1junky1000, on Sat 13 Dec 11:33AM

  14. f1junky1000, Don't worry about the message below­ yours, this person needs a good hoilday and a good­ psychiatrist ( God help the psychiatrist ) this one is­ beyond all help and needs to be ignored. Hopefully this­ one will go away and all hope is restored.

    D.Bristow

    From , on Sat 13 Dec 10:35AM

  15. HE LOST ALL RESPECT FROM THE HIS FELLOW POSTERS!
    NEVER­ Y THE IDIOT NEVER WOULD SHUT UP THEN AGAIN THE­ OFFSPRING OF BROTHER AND SISTER WHAT DO YOU EXPECT.
    HIS­ OBSESSION WITH MCLAREN DOES NOT BORDER ON THE ANNOYING­ IT IS DAMN RIGHT RIGHT ANNOYING.
    NEVER Y SUFFERED FROM­ MULTIPLE PERSONALITY PROBLEMS, POSTING AS MARNIO AND AS­ SOME ORTHER CHARACTERS.
    HOPEFULLY HE WOULD ONE DAY DIE­ OR JUST GO AWAY BUT AS IS WITH EVERYTHING IN LIFE­ PEOPLE LIKE NEVER Y LIVE FOREVER SPOUTING THEIR HATRED­ AND STUPIDITY.
    NEVER Y NEVER Y HOW STUPID ARE THOU!!!

    From f1junky1000, on Sat 13 Dec 10:24AM

  16. Well said GingerGitt. But we should not be debating­ this as didn't Ecclestone say All the teams were­ already in agreement with this stupid and crass idea of­ his. Or was he telling porkies to inflate his ego­ again.

    From BARRY, on Sat 13 Dec 9:08AM

  17. if they are trying to get more people to fight for the­ win why don't they go back to the old qualifying­ system - where the person with the single fastest lap­ is on top. the only caveat here is that the qualifying­ fuel loads should be used for the race. ok the big­ teams dont take to the track till later in the hour -­ but so what? it gives other teams a chance to fuel low­ and go for gold. i'm sure that'll create for a­ lot more overtaking moves, give more tv time to the­ lower teams and everyone is happier.

    From kabsl, on Sat 13 Dec 6:35AM

  18. leave it to Bernie to fix something that isn't­ broken. he appears to be doing something just to get­ his name in the press.

    From daffyduck60107, on Sat 13 Dec 5:03AM

  19. To expand: points for quali and fastest laps are needed­ - it will make the show more exciting. However, the­ 10-8 points (first - second) is not enough spread. I­ agree somewhat with wolfy, but event that margin­ between 1st / 2cd is a bit narrow.

    From Christopher R, on Sat 13 Dec 2:22AM

  20. A point for fastest lap and pole are good, but still­ not enough recognition for race win - which is the­ issue (and I agree with what they are trying to fix).­ However, medals are ridiculous, just widen the point­ spread from first to second.

    From Christopher R, on Sat 13 Dec 2:16AM
Sort comments by: Most recent

Not already a Yahoo! user ? to get a free Yahoo! Account