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Carlos Sainz Jr., George Russell, and more drivers address F1’s decision to remove the fastest lap bonus in 2025
AUSTIN — During Thursday’s media day ahead of the United States Grand Prix, one of the biggest pieces of news focused on the decision by Formula 1’s governing body, the FIA, to remove the bonus point awarded each race for the fastest lap. Instituted five seasons ago, that point would be awarded to the driver who finished in the top ten, and also posted the fastest lap.
At the Singapore Grand Prix, Lando Norris drove away from the field and had the fastest lap in his hands, but in the closing stages Daniel Ricciardo — in what would be his final race of the season — was called into the pits for a set of soft tires. Despite running at the back of the pack all race Ricciardo snatched the fastest lap from Norris, and while he did not pick up a point because he finished outside the points, he denied the McLaren driver that bonus point in the process.
And, if the title race between Norris and Max Verstappen truly comes down to the wire, that point could be a game-changer.
However, that bonus point will no longer be a feature, and it was news that seemed well-received throughout the paddock.
“I always thought the point for fastest lap was a bit pointless because, it would always be the driver who was having a tough race in the top ten would pit, put new tires on and gain the extra point,” said George Russell to the media, including SB Nation on Thursday. “So I never really saw the benefit of that. So sort of glad to see that that’s gone.”
Russell was not alone in his assessment.
“I don’t think that’s a bad thing,” said Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc during his media session. “Honestly, I’ve always felt like this point was very superficial because it always depended on your race situation, and it wasn’t really rewarding a particular skill in a way. Because it was more about finding yourself in the lucky position where you can pit stop and do that fastest lap. So I think it’s it’s good that it’s been taken off.”
“I think it takes away from any kind of games that can be played,” said Oscar Piastri during his media session. “I’m not saying that games have been played in the past but it just removes any doubt of it. A lot of the time we kind of saw that if there’s a dominant car, then that car just goes and gets an extra point for fastest lap as well.
“So it doesn’t always bring some kind of benefit to the other cars. So for me, I think it’s absolutely fine to get rid of that again.”
The decision to remove the bonus point was also a topic of discussion during the FIA Press Conference, with Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz Jr. joining his fellow drivers in welcoming the decision.
“I always was of the opinion that it was a not-needed point in the points system of Formula 1, mainly because of how it is achieved. Right now, that point goes to the one that has a free pit stop one lap to the end of the race,” said Sainz. “So it’s not showing who is the fastest guy in the race, and he deserves one point for being the fastest guy. It’s a point that goes to the guy that by chance or by luck or by race situation has a free pit stop at some point of the race. It’s not always the case. Not always, but in a lot of occasions, most of the times.”
Sainz, along with Alpine driver Esteban Ocon, floated the idea of a bonus point going to the driver who qualifies in P1, as aiming for pole position is truly something drivers hope to achieve, rather than the fastest single lap over a two-hour race.
“Pole position is something that, at least in Formula 1, is given a lot of value. Qualifying is something that media people keep a lot of importance to know. And obviously as drivers in qualifying, we like being the fastest because it shows you’ve maybe have done the cleanest lap. You’ve taken maybe more risks,” said Sainz. “You’ve put everything on the line to go on pole. And a point for that in a tight field makes sense. In a field where only one car is going to get all the pole positions makes less sense. But in the ideal scenario of a tight field and one guy going for it in qualifying and getting that pole position, I think it could make more sense than the fastest lap of the race.”
“I think for us drivers, being on pole is something very important to us and I think to all of you guys. it’s something that we put a lot of effort on and that is very rewarding,” said Ocon. “On the race, we race to win. You don’t necessarily race to be fastest on one lap. I never thought that this is a good thing, to have one point, for the race. But for pole position, it would be much more rewarding and that’s something I would prefer.”
As for the driver who could, at least theoretically, be impacted by this rule in 2024, Norris took a rather diplomatic approach when asked about the rule change during his FIA Press Conference appearance.
“I kind of liked how it is now. I mean, you know, there’s an opportunity to go for something else. Sometimes you pay the price for risking such a thing, and it’s always been a risk in certain scenarios. if your pit stop goes wrong, you know, different reasons. The thing is, if it’s such a case, then it’s like we had in Singapore or something like that. that’s repetitive, then I think it’s the correct thing to do,” said Norris. “But I don’t know. I don’t feel like they should change it just because of people questioning it after Singapore. So I don’t know. It’s got nothing to do with me. It was all a team manager thing.
“So yeah, it’s got nothing to do with us.”
