Martin Brundle doesn’t understand why F1 are removing one rule he loves for the 2025 season

Follow us on Google Discover

One of the biggest updates to the sporting regulations in Formula 1 history is coming in 2026.

The changes Formula 1 are making for the 2026 season are wide-ranging and will see entirely new power units arriving in the sport, smaller, lighter chassis and moveable aero parts.

There are concerns in the paddock about the 2026 cars, but the racing ahead of their introduction is set to be incredible.

This season has seen seven drivers from four different teams win Grand Prix and with four race weekends to go, both championships could go down to the wire.

There’s every chance that the 2025 season will be even closer with the top teams all converging under the current ruleset and development work being ramped up for brand new cars the following year.

Commentating over the Mexico City Grand Prix weekend for Sky Sports F1, former driver Martin Brundle was speaking to David Croft about a small change coming in 2025 that he’s not a fan of.

One of the more controversial moments this season was Daniel Ricciardo stealing the fastest lap of the race from Lando Norris at the Singapore Grand Prix as what appears to be his final act in F1.

The fastest lap point is being taken away in 2025, but Brundle has admitted he doesn’t understand why the change is taking place.

Martin Brundle doesn’t understand removing the fastest lap point from 2025 onwards

Ricciardo didn’t earn a point for taking the fastest lap from Norris as he finished outside of the top ten at the Marina Bay Street Circuit.

However, at the time, it did have important implications as it meant that the championship was no longer in Norris’s hands due to the points difference with Max Verstappen.

Talking about the rule change during the race, Brundle said: “It’s an extra championship point for Norris at the moment, which they’re taking away aren’t they for next year.

“I don’t understand that, I just do not understand why anybody [would remove that], if it ain’t broke don’t fix it and I think we’ve got other things we need to fix before taking away fastest lap, which often gives us something to talk about at the end of a Grand Prix, doesn’t it”

READ MORE: Daniel Ricciardo shares what he’s ‘guaranteed’ from Max Verstappen after Singapore Grand Prix fastest lap

Croft replied: “I’ve spoken to a few people about it, ‘ah, it’s just a gimmick, it doesn’t really work’, well actually I think it did and I’ve rather changed my mind on it because I wasn’t quite sure when it first came in because it has given us those last lap Lando moments as he takes the fastest lap.”

Brundle concluded: “I love the cat and mouse of it at the end of a Grand Prix, and it’s one point for goodness sake, that’s what we’re talking about.”

Who has the most fastest laps during the 2024 Formula 1 season?

After 20 race weekends, Verstappen’s lead over Norris in the Drivers’ Championship stands at 47 points.

Norris now needs more than just four race victories, two Sprint Race victories and six fastest laps to overturn the Dutchman’s lead if he were to finish second at every race between now and Abu Dhabi.

Eleven different drivers have secured a fastest lap at some point this season.

Esteban Ocon recently apologised to Franco Colapinto for stealing the fastest lap from him during the closing stages of the United States Grand Prix.

Norris is leading the way with four fastest laps this season, but Charles Leclerc is just behind him with three awards, including at the most recent race in Mexico City.

Verstappen has surprisingly only earned the award twice this year, although he did dominate the standings in 2023, securing nine fastest laps, typically right at the end of races that he had comfortably won to prove how much of an advantage he had over his rivals.