12/03/2019
NEWS STORY
Among the first to welcome the news that drivers, and their teams, will now be awarded a point for setting the fastest lap of the race - providing they finish in the top ten - was the sport's technical boss, Ross Brawn.
"Together with the FIA we have been committed to evaluating ideas and solutions that can improve the show whilst maintaining the integrity of our sport,” he told the official F1 website.
"We felt that the reintroduction, after sixty years, of a point for the driver of the fastest lap in the race goes in this direction," he added.
"We have been considering this solution - which represents a response to detailed research carried out with thousands of our fans around the world – for a number of months."
Award a point for the driver posting the fastest lap isn't a new idea, indeed, other than the practice being used by Formula E, it has also been used by F2 (previously GP2) and GP3 for many years, and was used in F1 between the inaugural season of F1 in 1950 and continued until 1959.
"How many times have we heard the drivers on the radio ask the team about who holds the fastest lap?" says Brawn, though most will only recall Fernando Alonso as the Spaniard sought to liven up another lost afternoon in the McLaren, even though under the 'top ten' rule he would not have qualified.
"Now it will no longer be only a matter of record and prestige, but there will be a concrete motivation that will make the final part of the race even more interesting.
"Sometimes it is useful to remind ourselves of the heritage of our sport to move forward."
In 2018, Valtteri Bottas posted 7 of the season's fastest laps and consequently picked up the DHL Award, had the system been in place then, he would have finished third in the championship, as opposed to fifth.