F1: FIA alters shortened-race points tally

by Mark Cipolloni
The Formula 1 commission, that includes the 10 teams, the governing body (FIA) as well as the commercial rights holder (Liberty Media) together, met in London on Tuesday ahead of next week’s season-opening race in Bahrain.

They have rewritten a rule to ensure reduced points are given for shortened races, following Red Bull’s Max Verstappen clinching his second title in confusing circumstances last season – a change of wording “to ensure that shorter races have reduced points even if they don’t finish with a suspended race.”

Last year’s rain delayed Japanese GP at Suzuka was halted after two laps and resumed more than two hours later, where 28 of the scheduled 53 laps were completed.

It turned out to be full points, enough for Verstappen to clinch the title with four races to spare. The FIA explained at the time that the reduced points rule only applied when a race was suspended and could not be resumed. So now that oversight has been corrected.