Fastest lap is irrelevant and should remain point-less

The new rule awarding a world championship point for fastest lap has been introduced with laudable intentions, but it’s a failure from the off

EDD STRAW

Fastest lap is the great imposter of racing statistics. It’s a contextless snapshot of a race, one that tells you a little, but far less than its prominence in Formula 1 driver career records suggests. While awarding a point for fastest lap in each F1 race superficially appeals as a means to add an extra dimension, it creates problems. The fact this new point must be caveated by a rule awarding it only to drivers if they finish in the top 10 is proof that it is fundamentally flawed from the off. It’s not an unprecedented move. For the first 10 seasons of the world championship there was a point for fastest lap, which was transferred to a reward for sixth place from 1960 onwards. But this was a very different time,…

You're reading a preview of

Autosport (Digital) - 1 Issue, 14/03/19

DiscountMags is a licensed distributor (not a publisher) of the above content and Publication through Zinio LLC. Accordingly, we have no editorial control over the Publications. Any opinions, advice, statements, services, offers or other information or content expressed or made available by third parties, including those made in Publications offered on our website, are those of the respective author(s) or publisher(s) and not of DiscountMags. DiscountMags does not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, truthfulness, or usefulness of all or any portion of any publication or any services or offers made by third parties, nor will we be liable for any loss or damage caused by your reliance on information contained in any Publication, or your use of services offered, or your acceptance of any offers made through the Service or the Publications. For content removal requests, please contact Zinio.