Qualifying trophy in F1 from 2014

Vettel and other drivers will have one more trophy to win in the upcoming season

FIA have announced that they will be presenting a qualifying trophy from the upcoming season. A raft of changes will be implemented from 2014 onward, and FIA have now included another trophy for 2014 and beyond.

The qualifying trophy will be awarded to the driver who takes the most number of poles in a season.

The Article 6.7 of the updated 2014 F1 Sporting Regulations reads: “A trophy will be awarded to the driver who sets the most pole positions during the championship season (see Article 36.2). In the event of a tie the holder of the greatest number of second places will be taken into account and, if there is still the tie, the holder of the greatest number of third places and so on until a winner emerges.

“If this procedure fails to produce a result, the FIA will nominate the winner according to such criteria as it thinks fit.”

Under this new rule, in the past five seasons, Vettel would have taken the trophy four times while Hamilton would have won it in 2012.

In addition to this, penalty points system in the driver’s super license will also come into effect next year and if a driver gets 12 points, he will be banned for one race.

“Penalty points will remain on a driver’s Super Licence for a period of 12 months after which they will be respectively removed on the 12-month anniversary of their imposition,” the FIA said.

Finally, the driver number system which means that a driver will be holding onto a number that is allotted to him throughout his F1 career will be decided through a ballot system.

“Prior to the start of the 2014 World Championship season race numbers will be permanently allocated to drivers by ballot, such numbers must then be used by that driver during every

Formula One World Championship Event he takes part in throughout his career,” according to Article 21.2 of the Sporting Regulations.

“Any new drivers, either at the start of or during a season, will also be allocated a permanent number in the same way.

“The only exception to this allocation process will be for the reigning World Champion who will have the option to use the number one. The number that was previously allocated to him will be reserved for him in subsequent seasons if he does not retain the title of World Champion.”