Formula 1: One obvious rule change needed after Suzuka

The points system for shortened Formula 1 races will need to be altered in some way after the confusion following the Japanese Grand Prix.

Just two laps, including only one under green flag conditions, were run in Sunday’s Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka Circuit before the decision was made to halt the 22-race 2022 Formula 1 season’s 18th race as a result of poor visibility due to rain.

Throughout much of the delay, the possibility of the 53-lap race around the 18-turn, 3.609-mile (5.808-kilometer) Suzuka, Mie Prefecture, Japan road course being shortened was discussed.  Depending on how much it needed to be shortened by, points were supposedly to be awarded differently.

In response to last year’s Belgian Grand Prix at Spa paying half points, despite the fact that the race was literally a single-lap parade behind the safety car, a modified points system was put into place for shortened races.

All races needed to run for at least two green flag laps in order for any points to be paid. In addition to full points, there were three “columns” with possible point totals: one for between two laps and 25% of the race, another one for between 25% and 50%, and another one for between 50% and 75%.

As the race progressed once it was finally restarted, it seemed likely that, under green flag conditions, somewhere between 27 and 29 laps would be run, which would be good for “column 3” points.

That is what everybody assumed as well. In fact, on multiple occasions, Sky Sports showed an “as they run” graphic which was effectively deemed useless since they were using full points in it.

Red Bull’s Max Verstappen entered the race 104 points ahead of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc in second place and 106 points ahead of teammate Sergio Perez in third, and he needed to be 112 points ahead of both by the end of the Japanese Grand Prix to clinch his second consecutive world championship.

With Verstappen leading ahead of Leclerc in second place and Perez in third, it appeared as though the championship would not be decided in Japan.

Verstappen would outscore Leclerc by five points (19-14, column 3) to move ahead by 109, and he would outscore Perez by seven points (19-12) to move ahead by 113, which would have eliminated Perez.

When Leclerc went off at the final chicane on the race’s 28th and final lap but maintained his position ahead of Perez, it was obvious that he was going to be penalized and dropped to third place, promoting Perez to second.

That scenario would have put Leclerc and Perez in a second place tie, 111 points behind Verstappen, and the championship again would not have been decided. Both Leclerc and Perez would have remained eligible.

Verstappen had even inquired about going for the fastest lap to score that extra point, with both him and the team knowing about the necessary 112-point gap. He likely had the gap to make an extra pit stop to try to pull it off.

Yet when Leclerc’s penalty was announced, it was revealed that Verstappen had actually won the Formula 1 world championship.

Many believed that he had been prematurely crowned champion, with everybody — including the teams — believing that the lead was only a 111-point lead, and over not one but two drivers.

However, despite the fact that the race only lasted 28 of 53 scheduled laps (between 50% and 75%), full points were awarded for the race.

Why? Simply because the race did actually resume.

And while many will be quick to criticize the FIA, this wasn’t a case of them making up the rules as they went. The way the rule was written, they made the correct call.

Read this line closely:

"“If a race is suspended in accordance with Article 57, and cannot be resumed, points for each title will be awarded in accordance with the following criteria.”"

This race could be resumed, so full points were awarded.

Verstappen outscored Perez by seven points and Leclerc by 10, putting him 113 points ahead of Perez and 114 points ahead of Leclerc and securing him a second world title.

However, the confusing situation could have been avoided.

Something needs to change moving forward. With the current rules, a race could be stopped after one lap and restarted with one minute to go on the timer, and full points would be paid for a two-lap event simply because it did resume and didn’t end until the three-hour clock expired.

Meanwhile, a race could be halted at 74% distance, and full points would not be awarded simply because the clock expires before it could be resumed.

Either create a universal points rule for various race distances or don’t. The rules shouldn’t allow the potential for more points to be awarded for shorter races than longer races, yet as the Japanese Grand Prix showed, that’s exactly what they are capable of doing.

Even if awarding full points is deemed acceptable — and many believe it would be — for a race that doesn’t quite get to 75% distance, the rules should be altered to make this crystal clear.

While there will always be fans who don’t understand the rules and regulations, the Formula 1 teams themselves should not be faced with a confusing situation when it really is a simple scenario involving the basic addition of three-digit and two-digit numbers. That confusion was evident when nobody knew whether Verstappen had truly won the title.