P1racenews AI automatic summary:
The majority of the Formula 1 driving fraternity has backed the FIA’s move to scrap the point for the fastest lap from the 2025 season.
On Thursday, the FIA announced changes to sporting, technical, and financial regulations approved by the World Motor Sport Council, affecting multiple series, such as eliminating the point for the driver with the fastest lap in a Grand Prix if they finish in the top-10, effective from 2025. The decision followed Red Bull’s success in obtaining the fastest lap with Daniel Ricciardo at the Singapore GP, taking a point from Lando Norris’s championship challenge. Mercedes’ George Russell supported the change, stating that the fastest lap point lacked significance and often favored drivers in challenging races making late pit stops. The majority of F1 drivers shared Russell’s sentiment, believing the fastest lap point did not reflect skills but merely fortunate race circumstances or strategic choices. Notably, Charles Leclerc, Carlos Sainz, and others agreed that scrapping the point was a positive move for the sport, highlighting the element of luck rather than true performance. Despite Norris’s differing view, expressing enjoyment in the current system’s risk-reward dynamic, he acknowledged the potential for abuse if certain teams repeatedly sought fastest laps through late pit stop strategies.
