Today i was reading an interesting and the same time disturbing article about a new point system. According to Motorsport.com the F1 commission will have a meeting next week where they will discuss this new proposal. I have problems with this idea, why they did not introduce this in the days of Caterham HRT and Manor. When reliability of cars was even more due to the amount of cars. Back then, there were no such plans about adding more points in the system to gain more “equality” see also more money for teams. Obviously it’s the zeitgeist we are living in where the truth is forbidden to be told. Anyway, it is not what this article is about. Let’s see how the small teams of the past would have done it if the top 12 would gain points.
A few years ago during COVID-19, I wrote the article “Were small teams like Forti really that bad”. The reason behind this was to look up how teams like EuroBrun, Leyton House, AGS, Coloni and so on would have done with today’s point system. Interestingly some teams showed better results than Williams did the last four years on the grid. Now the idea has launched to give points to the top 12 it’s time to redo the article.
There is a chance, if the majority of the teams agree on the plan, the new point system can be introduced in 2025. Nothing will change for the top seven. From place eight this is the proposed idea;
Eight = 5 Points
Ninth = 4 Points
Tenth = 3 Points
Eleventh = 2 Points
Twelfth = 1 Point
Would EuroBrun and Life have scored points? Time to dive into the results from the past and see how much better they would have done it!
Shadow Racing 1978 – 1980
In the previous article I did not include the Shadow Racing team from Don Nichols, this time I do. The team managed to appear on the podium from their debut in 1973 until 1977 when Alan Jones managed to win 1977 Austrian Grand Prix. Despite the good hopes, the team came in a decline from 1978 onwards. In 1980, after a couple of races the team disappeared from the grid. Yes I have to admit I also do it as Jan Lammers would have scored plenty of points. This however is for another article.
| 1978 Season | 1979 Season | 1980 Season | |
| Point system 1978 – 1990 | 11 Points (best 5th) | 3 Points (best 4th) | 0 Points (best 13th) |
| Point system 2019 – recent | 31 Points | 28 Points | 0 Points (best 13th) |
| Point System per 2025? | 37 Points | 40 Points | 0 Points (best 13th) |
Osella Squadra Corse 1980 – 1990
Osella is one of the small teams that survived the longest after Minardi in the Formula One. Enzo Osella brought his team in the Formula One in 1980, the same time the Turbo engines were knocking on the door. Especially in the early years, the team showed some good progression though due the Turbo engine era and the lack of finance the team’s results were poor. As well, the team kept on developing the same car in basis. 1990 was the last year for the Osella team before Gabriele Rumi purchased the team.
| 1980 Season | 1981 Season | 1982 Season | |
| Point system 1978 – 1990 | 0 Points (best 12th place) | 0 Points (best 11th place) | 3 Points (best 4th place) |
| Point system 2019 – recent | 0 Points (best 12th place) | 11 Points | 14 Points |
| Point System per 2025? | 1 Point | 18 Points | 16 Points |
| 1983 Season | 1984 Season | 1985 Season | |
| Point system 1978 – 1990 | 0 Points (best 10th place) | 2 Points (best 5th place) | 0 Points (best 7th place) |
| Point system 2019 – recent | 1 Point | 24 Points | 10 Points |
| Point System per 2025? | 7 Points | 27 Points | 15 Points |
| 1986 Season | 1987 Season | 1988 Season | |
| Point system 1978 – 1990 | 0 Points (best 11th place) | 0 Points (best 12th place) | 0 Points (Best 9th place) |
| Point system 2019 – recent | 0 Points | 0 Points | 2 Points |
| Point System per 2025? | 3 Points | 1 Point | 5 Points |
| 1989 Season | 1990 Season | ||
| Point system 1978 – 1990 | 0 Points (best 12th place) | 0 Points (best 13th place) | |
| Point system 2019 – recent | 0 Points | 0 Points (best 13th place) | |
| Point System per 2025? | 1 Point | 0 Points (best 13th place) |
Spirit Racing 1983 – 1985
One of those small teams that would score a decent amount of points was Spirit Racing. The team debuted in 1983 with the Spirit – Honda 201. It was their Formula two car that they used as base for the Honda V6 test hack. After Honda ditched the team as their playground, the team came with the Spirit 101 powered by the Hart 415T and later with the Ford Cosworth DFV V8 engine. Especially in 1984, the team would have scored some great amount of points. After three races with the Spirit 101D in 1985 the team disappeared from the grid. While rumours stated that Spirit would return in 1986.
| 1983 Season | 1984 Season | 1985 Season | |
| Point system 1978 – 1990 | 0 Points (best 7th place) | 0 Points (best 8th place) | 0 Points (best Retired) |
| Point system 2019 – recent | 6 Points | 18 Points | 0 Points (best Retired) |
| Point System per 2025? | 7 Points | 24 Points | 0 Points (best Retired) |
RAM Racing 1983 – 1985
Perhaps one of the iconic teams from the first Turbo era in the Formula One. RAM Racing the team from John MacDonald first appeared in the 1970s on the grid with a March. Before it made it’s comeback in 1983 with their own cars. Sponsored by SKOAL Bandit it probably is the logo that most remember. The very first RAM the 01 was powered by the atmospheric Ford Cosworth DFV and DFY. Then the RAM 02 was finally fitted with a Turbo engine. The team signed a contract with Hart to use their engines. In 1985 the team appeared with the RAM 03. Sadly the team did not manage to score points and left the grid after the 1985 European Grand Prix.
| 1983 Season | 1984 Season | 1985 Season | |
| Point system 1978 – 1990 | 0 Points (best 12th place) | 0 Points (best 8th place) | 0 Points (best 9th place) |
| Point system 2019 – recent | 0 Points | 13 Points | 2 Points |
| Point System per 2025? | 1 Point | 28 Points | 5 Points |
Team Haas (USA) Ltd. 1985 – 1986
While the team was only two seasons on the grid, many remember the first Haas team that appeared in the Formula One. It is even on the cover of the book Formule Hopeloos from Jeroen Demmendaal. The team debuted in 1985 during the Italian Grand Prix with Alan Jones behind the wheel of the Lola THL1. Trivia: Lola was not involved at all within the team. For 1986, Carl Haas signed Patrick Tambay as their second driver. The team did it pretty good. However, it was not as expected. In-between the races their sponsor Beatrice decided to stop sponsoring the team. While the plans were there to race also in 1987. Eventually the team would retire from the Formula One.
| 1985 Season | 1986 Season | |
| Point system 1978 – 1990 | 0 Points (best retired) | 6 Points (best 4th place) |
| Point system 2019 – recent | 0 Points (best retired) | 47 Points |
| Point System per 2025? | 0 Points (best retired) | 55 Points |
Zakspeed Racing 1985 – 1989
In 1984 Erich Zakowski made the move to enter the Formula One. Interestingly, it was in the middle of an era where Turbo engines were dominating. It didn’t matter for Erich to simply design his own Turbo engine and chassis! When the team made their debut in 1985 an intensively testing program in 1984 and early 1985 was conducted. When the 841 made it’s debut with Jonathan Palmer the car was already outdated. The 861 for 1986 was a huge improvement. Sadly, the team lacked the proper liability. Therefore only two points were scored. Comparing their stats with todays and future’s point system shows the team would have probably stayed longer in the Formula One. Trivia; In 1998 Zakspeed was to re-enter the grid. Ecclestone even signed the papers for it.
| 1985 Season | 1986 Season | 1987 Season | |
| Point system 1978 – 1990 | 0 Points (Best 11th place) | 0 Points (Best 8th place) | 2 Points (Best 5th place) |
| Point system 2019 – recent | 0 Points | 14 Points | 38 Points |
| Point System per 2025? | 2 Points | 27 Points | 47 Points |
| 1988 Season | 1989 Season | ||
| Point system 1978 – 1990 | 0 Points (Best 12th place) | 0 Points (Best retired) | |
| Point system 2019 – recent | 0 Points | 0 Points | |
| Point System per 2025? | 1 Point | 0 Points |
AGS 1986 – 1991
The small French team from late Henri Julien appeared for the first time on the grid in 1986 with the JH21C. This car was built around the three year old Renault RE40 tube. A year later the team shown that a tiny budget didn’t mean you couldn’t challenge the rest. With Roberto Moreno replacing Pascal Fabre the last two races of 1987. Moreno managed to finish sixth in Australia and score the first point for the team. In 1989, Gabriele Tarquini repeated this result by finishing sixth in Mexico. Sadly, the team was suffering in it’s existing the lack of a proper budget. After 1991, the team left the grid. Leaving a heritage of two unraced cars the AGS JH25B and AGS JH27. While to this day, they still prepare historic racing cars.
| 1986 Season | 1987 Season | 1988 Season | |
| Point system 1978 – 1990 | 0 Points (Best retired) | 1 Point (Best 6th place) | 0 Points (Best 8th place) |
| Point system 2019 – recent | 0 Points (Best retired) | 13 Points | 8 Points |
| Point System per 2025? | 0 Points (Best retired) | 21 Points | 18 Points |
| 1989 Season | 1990 Season | 1991 Season | |
| Point system 1978 – 1990 | 1 Point (Best 6th place) | 0 Points (Best 9th place) | 0 Points (Best 8th place) |
| Point system 2019 – recent | 18 Points | 2 Points | 4 Points |
| Point System per 2025? | 19 Points | 4 Points | 5 Points |
