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Robert Kubica believes that F1's new rule that will award a driver with one point if he sets the fastest lap and finishes inside the top ten could create some "strange scenarios".
Kubica played down the importance of the rule for Williams, who is likely to be competing outside the top ten after an unfavourable pre-season test.
“I think unfortunately it doesn’t affect us a lot at least for now," Kubica said. "An extra point I think it can unlock some strange scenarios at the end of the race with some cars pitting.
"All of a sudden we will see people, cars coming in. It will depend, it will be a kind of domino I think. But as I said we are not really interested about it.”
Daniel Ricciardo, who races for Renault this year, says that he is in support of the new rule, and is happy that it is restricted to drivers inside the top ten.
“It’s good that they’ve at least restricted it to the top 10 so you do have something potentially to lose if you’re going to pit for a fresh set of tyres to get the fastest lap,” he said.
However, Ricciardo doesn't think it will prove to be important in this year's championship fight.
“I haven’t really thought that much about it,” he added. “We’ll see how it plays out. I don’t think it will decide a championship. It could do, but I don’t think it will.”
Azerbaijan Grand Prix
C. Sainz jr
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Replies (3)
Login to replyPatentprutser
Posts: 396
Well, Kubica has a point. The top 3 teams are often more then a pitstop ahead of the rest. so the man in sixth position, can easily make a pitstop to gain the fastest lap.
Kean
Posts: 692
Not really in favor.... of you’re a pit stop ahead the following driver it is too easy a way to collect more points. Unfair to the driver just ahead. Or a junior team, outside of the top ten, can pit and set a fastest lap towards the end of the race in order to block a rival to the senior team to pick up more points.
Ram Samartha
Posts: 1,172
They announced that the rule is you have to be in the top 10 in order to get the fast lap point. But that doesn't mean that those who have position, say 6th or 7th and have more than a pit stop gap in time wouldn't box and get some new tires to try to get the point. It could spice things up though, because you never know what might go wrong with a pit stop. I don't think the leading teams would do it just for an extra point as it's not worth the risk, but for the teams lower down say 9th or 10th it looks more tempting to pick up that extra point.