"I don't think that's good for the sport" - Haas F1 boss explains the need for a revised points structure

Haas F1 team principal Ayao Komatsu recently weighed in on the latest debate surrounding the introduction of a revised points structure in the championship, advocating for more points to be awarded further down the order.

During F1's return to the Shanghai International Circuit, reports emerged that the F1 commission would schedule a meeting to discuss the introduction of the new points system. The proposal included awarding points to the top 12 classified drivers instead of the current system where points are awarded to the top 10 finishers.

Ayao Komatsu, who recently took over the leadership role at Haas, believes that continuing with the current system is not good for the sport. He pointed out that three teams are yet to score a point five races into the season. He said after the Chinese GP (via Autosport):

"We have three teams with zero points and I don't think that's good for the sport."

Haas has been a perennial backmarker in recent years, however, the team has scored five points and currently sits seventh in the constructors' standings. As Komatsu noted, Williams, Alpine, and Kick Sauber are yet to score a point this season.

With the top five constructors in a different league, they make up for the points-scoring positions in each race. The rest of the five teams have to snipe for points-scoring opportunities whenever a driver from the top five teams encounters misfortune.

F1 analysts have also expressed mixed opinions regarding the new points system. Sky Sports pundits David Croft and Martin Brundle hold opposing views. Croft aligned with the Haas team principal, while Brundle believes points must be "hard-earned and not any lucky dip where everyone wins a prize."

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Haas driver elaborates on the 'perfect' circumstances required to score a point

During F1's recent visit to Shanghai, Aston Martin driver Lance Stroll rear-ended Daniel Ricciardo, taking both out of contention. This incident opened the door for Nico Hulkenberg to finish 10th in the Grand Prix, earning a single point for the team.

The Haas driver elaborated that the team has to execute a "perfect" weekend and hope for a points-scoring opportunity. He also emphasized that racing with the top five teams is not possible. Hulkenberg said post-race (via Formula1.com):

"It’s never a walk in the park...It shows one of the top five cars [Stroll] had a problem and obviously that’s the spot we kind of stole because of it. Otherwise, it’s not really possible to race with them. It also just shows that we need to have a perfect Saturday in quali and Sunday to be able to be where we are."

Nico Hulkenberg currently sits 13th in the driver's standings with four points, one spot ahead of his teammate Kevin Magnussen.