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[What's Burning?]

I realized we hadn't discussed the new driver's penalty points system. Given the fact that points are awarded now based on an offense. 12 points accrued and your automatically out for one race ban. What's the opinion out there? Theses points are for a calendar year so whenever you accrue them, they stay on for one full calendar year not season year which could get interesting.

IMO I like it overall with the exception that we'll have the same ol' same ol' inconsistencies in the stewarding, and that they'll be less likely to give someone (Maldonado) more points for an a driver incurring a one time offense because a precedence has been set.

[Jabberwocky]

I can see one issue happening already. What if you are awarded some points that mean you have 12 points however before the next race you loose some points you got last year. Is it still a one race ban?

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[Jabberwocky]

Also a new driver for a year starts and gets 6 points in the 1st 2 races. Think grosjean/maldonardo 1st year is it fair that they also get 12 points. UK driving licences have a points system and new drivers can only have 6 points for the 1st 2 years they can drive

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[RichieRooster]

I like the idea. It should promote drivers to think about the long game, and reward the safer drivers.
Its not a perfect system as has been hinted at but lets give it time to bed in. I'll be happy so long as we see consistency from the stewards

[sagi58]

Not sure I would agree with the points being there for a calendar year.
Was there some sort of rationale as to what it wasn't a seasonal thing?

Also, two people have already mentioned the inconsistencies we see in
penalties given/ignored by the Stewards. How does the FIA minimize
this? Should they hire a group/panel of stewards that travels from race
to race? Is it about the money it would cost to do this? Is it because
each race has its own "guest" stewards?

So many questions, so little space!

[Jabberwocky]

I agree it should be a calender year. If anyone has seen the last race of the BTCC season will understand why. For those who have not it is more like a demolition derby race because they know the following year is a clean slate.

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[sagi58]

So... maybe they should accumulate for more than "just" one year?

[stonemonkey]

What if a driver has earned 12 points andserved his ban, are the points cleared or do more points result in another ban?

[Jabberwocky]

maybe they should be banned until they don't have 12 points

[RichieRooster]

Look at football, players acquire yellow cards throughout a season, get to 10 and you get a ban for 2 games, then its reset to 0. At the end of the season the tally is wiped back to 0 for everyone. This kind of system should apply here.
I would also draw up a list of offenses with a definition, or categorise offences then points are given for that category. eg;
Group A offences = 1 point and includes x, y, z
Group B = 2 points
etc. etc. until;
Group Maldonado which is for anything stupid that is on a par with what he does which is an instant 11 points.

Other sports have this kind of system and it works well. You could also hold the allocation of these penalty points until 48hrs after a race, meaning that race stewards refer anything that needs referring to a set body that dishes out the points. Exceptions being instant/undisputed infringements such as speeding in the pit lane.

Points should be until the end of a season, and I agree, rookie drivers may be unfairly penalised, but having said that their errors may also influence title winning chances for experienced drivers so the punishments need to be consistent.

[Jabberwocky]

I think it is hard to justify how many points for x,y, or z, think about Ricciardo's penalty at the last race for unsafe release. He lost a bunch of time in the race and then got a penalty on top because that was a set penalty. compare that to releasing a driver a bit late so another car has to brake in the pit lane. in a way Ricciardo had a natural penalty so the grid drop was unnecessary IMHO

[Roth]

I think it is hard to justify how many points for x,y, or z, think about Ricciardo's penalty at the last race for unsafe release. He lost a bunch of time in the race and then got a penalty on top because that was a set penalty. compare that to releasing a driver a bit late so another car has to brake in the pit lane. in a way Ricciardo had a natural penalty so the grid drop was unnecessary IMHO

Ricciardo copped a Red Bull penalty, but it's a team sport. It wasn't just an unsafe release, and possibly a bit of a prang - it had potential for much worse with a wheel coming off like Webber's last year; that's why the penalty is in place. You can't take constructor's points because races half the grid doesn't score points. It's just ironic it's RB copping it first time.

The only way would be team, not driver, penalties related to the pits, like you don't get so long to work on the car.

[What's Burning?]

I can see one issue happening already. What if you are awarded some points that mean you have 12 points however before the next race you loose some points you got last year. Is it still a one race ban?

It's an automatic race ban once you have reached 12 points, so that scenario is moot.

[geetface9]

All I see is mandatory minimums where kids are sent to jail for smoking pot when everybody was just trying to have a good time.

[spankyham]

I'd see getting consistency and higher quality in the officiating as being far more important than the penalty/points system.

And while we are at it, I think Red Bull ought to face some sort of additional penalty for their carry on with the flow meters. I mean, they were all gung-ho about how the flow meters were faulty and they could prove it, and when it came time to put up, they had nothing. If we keep up the soccer analogies, players get penalized for diving?