Just thought, teams have already picked their tyre choices and with new fastest lap point, if they had known they might have made different choice. I think they have had to pick tyres for first few races. No big deal as it's same for all teams but it might make a difference in first few races. I bet the software people, strategists and pu people will be working long long hrs to get the best options for getting the extra point. All the extra points are almost like winning an extra race so teams can't afford to miss them.
It all depends on the aero I think, if that does it's job properly, and drivers can follow better, it'll make an aggressive 3-stop strategy more paletable, as they'll know they'll have a chance of over-taking, rather than get stuck in the dirty air. If the aero hasn't done what it's supposed to then track position will be king and whoever has a 30second gap will get the extra point.
But you have to weigh between burning your tyres for one point and conserving yours and making a bigger haul...lol
Exactly. That's why I think it adds something. It increases the variables and adds an extra dimension to the range of strategies under consideration. Having said all this… the current points system of 25, 18, 15 etc. renders the extra point far less significant than it would have, had it been in place during any of the previous versions – most notably the 8, 6, 4 system when it was last awarded; i.e. one eighth is far larger than one twenty-fifth; and one sixth is far larger than one eighteenth, etc.
Vettel needs to win this one. He lost his head last year but this year he has a team mate who fans are thinking will beat him. That's got to be another thing playing on his mind.
I think you are right, Vettel is going to have so much pressure on him unless he has had a good person helping him manage his head he will crack up again and hand Lewis the championship again! Only 18 hrs to first practice
If the new guy beats Vettel in the first race on the season... I believe he will panic and start to overdrive the car do some desperate things on track, especially if Lewis is ahead of him too. Hopefully, though, he will put up a great fight throughout.
I liked the driver reveal event. Very good idea. (Allthough not sure what the booing for Hamilton was for unless it's for Vettel) Just hope the racing fits the hype I'm getting.
I am always open to change in all walks of life but I am unconvinced the point for fastest lap will add to the racing, it simply makes the math more complex for the strategist and give something else the fans can talk about and say, 'if he could do it for one lap why not the rest.' That may be the sole objective, giving something to occupy the minds of the fans in the final stages when the race is more or less settled. First and foremost the strategy must be to win. With 19 points on offer throughout the season this is mostly targeted at those constructors consistently 4th 5th and 6th, trying to make the middle runners exciting. Realistically no one will make a dash for the pits if it costs them position since they will lose points unless they have a really good gap in the first place. Let's assume they burn their tyres getting into the 10, then a quick dash is a consolation only when you know you are going to drop out of the top ten if you don't, so you would be doing it anyway is my point (bad choice of word). If the racing is close enough for this to have an impact on front runners too then we have a damn good season anyway without it. I am open to be proved wrong and hope I am.
I think the 1 stop or 2 stop strategies are fairly close sometimes, so the fastest lap point could induce a few teams to go for the more aggressive strategy and get racey. that said, I think the reality will be for someone in the points with a big gap to the next car to pop in on the penultimate lap, get some softs and nick a point, though that itself could cause a few interesting moments, but I doubt it.
The more I think of it the more I am not keen on the fastest lap point. Once the strategists and engineers sort themselves out the points will mainly be going to the top 2 teams. So the 21 extra points won't add to the excitement it will almost add to the predictability. After watching Netflix F1 documentary and Guenther Steiner I realised more than before how hard the teams try for every extra advantage or point they can get as they never know if it will make a difference at the end of the season. With the sums of money involved no one can risk losing a single point. So I think when teams get their techy heads round it it will end up with the front running teams bagging most of the extra lap points.
Perhaps a more interesting strategy would be to to reduce the gap in points between positions but of course that was established in the first instance to rule out reliability being more relevant than winning. So, if that is the strategy, that is reduce the gap in the result with a fastest lap, then perhaps to be relevant it should 2 or 3 points for fastest lap, then it would add real spice. 1 point favours the lower teams only. Whether it would be fair is itself debatable. It would certainly be far more relevant in regard to the consequence. P.S. I am not advocating this.
There is another twist to fastest lap point. Say Merc are leading and have fastest lap with 7 laps to go. Surely if a Ferrari B team who are not in top 10 can pit for some sticky boots and take fastest lap they effectively remove the fastest lap from Merc! So B teams have possibility of taking a point from anyone in top 10! Well not take the point but deprive anyone in top 10 from getting the extra point.
my view of extra point is this. teams will sit on crap tyres all race waiting to pit late as possible and save engine then charge at end. esp if they've an advantage over field
Really not in favour of the fastest lap point, an unnecessary tweak that will serve no purpose but to be abused. There is no substitute for winning and racing. If they are trying to create more racing in the later stages then award for late overtakes, now that would be more fun. Earn a point for an overtake in the last 5 laps, an overtake being defined as gaining a position where the car being overtaken is not retiring in that or the following lap. The overtake has to succeed to the end of the race, e.g. not be overtaken by the same car over the next 4 laps. The car that is overtaken can not gain a point for winning back the position they lost. 5 laps should prevent abuse from late tyre changes by a front runner.
Very sad about Charlie Whitings Passing . RIP mate. Can't wait for Q3 so we can an have idea of the pecking order.
Red Bull would have been all over this fastest lap points had it been in force last year. Not able to battle the top 4 cars but several pitstops in front of the midfield