Anti-sandbagging measures

[vorticism]

I believe any team that is "dominant" will postpone or withheld the upgrades. McLaren seems to be the fastest, they are running away with the WCC and doing quite well in WDC. Why push an update, maybe become even faster and then get a reactive FIA clampdown because you are too dominant.

By chance I had been thinking about this topic recently. A points system which forces both the driver and the constructor to show their hand by rewarding them points separately and in different ways. Call it the margin-of-victory system.

Points awarded per race per position: ((number of cars finished)-(finishing position)+1)) & (seconds ahead of trailing car)

The driver gets only the first allocation and the constructor gets only the second allocation. Effectively, drivers get their finishing position number in points. Aside: if cars DNF this diminishes the total drivers points purse. Constructors are rewarded only for how far ahead drivers are respective to a trailing car at the race finish.

Effectively, constructors are encouraged to use the full pace of their car and drivers will be faced with the choice of finishing slightly ahead of competitors or finishing far ahead of competitors--should their car be able to. The team will want them to finish far ahead, as this is their only way to gather constructors points. Some drivers may want the opposite, but in terms of driver’s points it won’t matter, as they can only get their finishing position in points.

As for quali, a “Delta trial” qualifying staged shootout: The first stage, Q1, awards quali points that do not contribute to the WDC nor WCC. Quickest laptime awards 20 points, slowest awards 1 point (for a grid of 20 cars). Q2 would involve improving upon your Q1 time. Personal improvement deltas are ranked and the smallest delta provides 1 point while the largest provides 20. Repeat for Q3. And Q4. And Q5... Point being, drivers will be forced to show their car's true pace because they are racing themselves for quali points. The sum of quali points determines the starting grid.

There could be derivatives of the above proposals, but I haven't seen the concept of split constructor-driver points and margin of victory based points systems discussed before, but I'd be surprised if they hadn't been.

[Hoffman900]

If you want to fix the sandbagging, then make it so each PU only has to last one race.

[FittingMechanics]

A complicated points system that would reward big gaps would theoretically work but in practice it would be too difficult to use or explain to a casual fan.

I think easier solution would be to make it a rule that FIA does not institute changes to curb dominances. Teams wouldn't be worried about showing shattering pace if the rules will be stable and no "clip their wings" changes were allowed.

[DJ Downforce]

The FIA should never be allowed to introduce overt or covert mid-season TDs

[Greg Locock]

"Never" is doing a lot of work in that sentence. I agree generally mid season TDs are bad but if it is for a safety issue (to pick the easiest case) then that doesn't seem unreasonable.

[SiLo]

I always say that my ideal is to get pole with the minimum effort, and to win the race at the slowest speed possible.