A new penalty points system has been given the go-ahead for the 2014 season following a majority vote in Spain on Thursday.
The new system will see points awarded in addition to or in place of a traditional penalty. Each driver is allowed a maximum of 12 points during a 12 month period – should they exceed that, they will face a one-race ban.
Seven teams voted in favour, whilst four – Red Bull, Lotus, Williams and Toro Rosso – opted to vote against. The majority vote means it will now go before the FIA World Council to be added to the 2014 Sporting Regulations.
The rule doesn’t require F1 Commission approval because of the absence of the Concorde Agreement which is yet to be signed. Therefore the usual process doesn’t have to be followed.
The details are yet to be worked out, but it’s likely that a serious breach, such as causing a collision, will warrant three points. Smaller infringements, such as speeding in the pits, will only warrant a single point.
The points remain valid for 12 months, after that period they are wiped off.
During the meeting, the teams also voted on the subject of relaxing private testing restrictions. Ferrari were in favour, however the majority voted against.
