David Croft and Nico Rosberg disagree over proposed new 2025 Formula 1 rule change

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Formula 1 is always looking for ways to improve the sport and rules and are constantly being introduced, removed or adjusted.

The most recent technical ruleset has benefitted Red Bull and Max Verstappen more than anyone else and he demonstrated that once again during the Chinese Grand Prix.

A report from Motorsport.com has outlined another change that could be made in 2025 and would be of keen interest to a few teams in particular.

There are currently three teams after five Grand Prix weekends that still haven’t scored a point yet.

Sauber watched Valtteri Bottas’s engine fail and Zhou Guanyu drove well without threatening the top ten in Shanghai.

READ MORE: Sauber driver Zhou Guanyu’s life outside F1 from height to net worth

Alpine achieved their best result of the season through Esteban Ocon who was one position off scoring that first point.

Williams have seen Alex Albon finish 11^th this season as well but they’re yet to get off the mark too.

However, there’s a suggestion that F1 is potentially looking at changing the rules so that the top 12 drivers score points at every race.

It would really benefit the slower cars on the grid, but Sky Sports commentators David Croft and Nico Rosberg have different ideas about the proposed change.

Top 12 drivers could score points in Formula 1 races from 2025

Posting on X, formerly Twitter, journalist Kemal Sengul said: “Formula 1 is considering switching to a new points system.

“Accordingly, it is planned to give points to the first 12 names, not the first ten.

“Especially small teams are very eager for this system.”

There’s a slight worry that this rule change is slightly reactive to what’s happened this season.

For the first time, there is a clear split between the top five teams and the bottom five teams on the grid.

This means that if everything goes to plan then the slowest 10 drivers are very unlikely to ever score points.

However, that has only happened once – in Bahrain – and Nico Hulkenberg was the driver who broke into the top half to score points for the third time this season for Haas.

READ MORE: Haas driver Nico Hulkenberg’s life outside F1 from wife to height

If 12 drivers do start scoring points in Formula 1 races, then it will at least give a clearer picture of who is the best team in the backmarkers.

Nico Rosberg and David Croft disagree over proposed F1 points change

Talking about the proposal during the Chinese Grand Prix, Croft said: “Formula 1 teams will gather virtually to discuss a proposal for the future to have points down to 12^th place in Formula 1.

“Obviously, they go down to 10^th at the moment, but there’s a proposal to make it points down to 12^th.

“Which I don’t disagree with at all because for those running in the midfield where it is very, very competitive at the moment, it enables them to score points, it enables fans I think to differentiate why one team is ahead of another when they haven’t scored any points.

“I’d go one step further and if you finish the race, you get at least one point, I’d have points all the way from 1^st down to 20^th.”

Rosberg disagreed and simply said: “I like it the way it is. It should be hard to get a few points.”

Who would benefit from new F1 points change?

If the top 12 drivers had scored points during the first five Formula 1 races of the 2024 season, then four drivers who are yet to get off the mark would have already benefitted.

Alex Albon has two 11^th-place finishes and a 12^th already, while Esteban Ocon would have earned two points in China.

Zhou Guanyu would have got off the mark during the season opener in Bahrain and Daniel Ricciardo would have been handed a well-deserved point during his home race in Australia.

There are still three drivers that have yet to finish that high this season: Pierre Gasly, Valtteri Bottas and Logan Sargeant.

Gasly is now waiting for the upgrade package that Ocon received in China, while reliability issues and pit stop woes have denied Bottas the chance to score points.

For Sargeant, the best he’s done this season is 14^th and he needs to pick up his performances to make sure he’s on the grid next year when the points changes could be introduced.