Analysis: This is how much the new qualifying points system would affect the Formula E World Championship

The International Automobile Federation (FIA) wishes to place greater emphasis on qualifying sessions in Formula E in future: After five seasons using the head-to-head system, season 13 will see the introduction of a new points system for qualifying. In future, it will no longer be just the pole-setter who receives points: as early as the qualifying session, eight drivers will be rewarded with World Championship points. Furthermore, the number of points awarded in qualifying will increase significantly.

From next season onwards, the pole-setter in Formula E will receive five World Championship points: one for pole position itself, one for each of the three duels won, and a further point for reaching the duels. The driver who loses in the final will therefore receive three points, whilst the two semi-finalists will each receive two. The four drivers eliminated in the quarter-finals will each receive one point. In total, 16 World Championship points will therefore be awarded in qualifying in future. Previously, only three points were awarded to the pole-setter.

But how significant an impact would this change actually have on the World Championship? What would the overall standings have looked like since the introduction of the duel system if points had been awarded according to the new scheme back then? e-Formula.news has recalculated the drivers’ standings since the introduction of the head-to-head system in Season 8. The analysis shows what changes the new points system would have brought about.

First things first: all World Championship titles would have gone to the same drivers. Nor would the new system change the lead in the current season. The figures in brackets after a driver’s name indicate the additional qualifying points.

Season 12

Under the new points system, Pascal Wehrlein would lead the World Championship standings by an even wider margin: the new rules would earn him 16 extra points. His main rival, Mitch Evans, would receive only ten additional points. Antonio Felix da Costa would now be third in the World Championship, as he would receive 14 more points for his qualifying results, whilst Oliver Rowland would receive only nine more points and would drop to fourth place.

Further down the standings, there would be few changes. Sebastien Buemi and Joel Eriksson would each receive just four extra points, meaning they would lose some ground to their immediate neighbours in the standings: Felipe Drugovich (11), Nyck de Vries (10) and Nick Cassidy (8). At the back of the field, Taylor Barnard (13), Dan Ticktum (12), Max Günther (9) and Norman Nato (7) would benefit, whilst Zane Maloney (2), Pepe Marti (1) and Lucas di Grassi (0) would lose ground.

Season 11

In Season 11, the new system would have had the greatest impact. Whilst Oliver Rowland would still have become world champion by a clear margin, Pascal Wehrlein would have finished as runner-up. His 17 bonus points would have been enough to leave Nick Cassidy, who would have gained eight points, behind him.

In the battle for 7th place in the World Championship, Jake Dennis (10) and Nyck de Vries (13) would have swapped positions, whilst behind them Edo Mortara (6) would have dropped two places to Dan Ticktum (15) and Max Günther (13). The only other change in position would have occurred at the back of the field: David Beckmann would have overtaken Sergio Sette Camara thanks to two bonus points, whilst Sette Camara would not have received any additional points.

Season 10

In Season 10, very little would have changed. The order would only have changed at 10th place in the World Championship: Stoffel Vandoorne (19) would have overtaken Robin Frijns (11). Further down the field, Jake Hughes (12) and Norman Nato (10) would have been the main beneficiaries. Sebastien Buemi (7), Nico Müller and Sam Bird (both 6), on the other hand, would have lost ground relative to their rivals. Sergio Sette Camara (6) would have overtaken his team-mate Dan Ticktum (1), and Lucas di Grassi (2) would have overtaken Taylor Barnard (0).

Season 9

In Season 9, too, there would have been a change in second place in the World Championship: Mitch Evans (23) would have been Dennis’s closest challenger, ahead of his compatriot Nick Cassidy (13). Jean-Eric Vergne (9) would have lost fifth place in the World Championship to Sebastien Buemi (18). Max Günther (15) would have drawn level on points with the Frenchman, but remained behind him. Further down the order, Sacha Fenestraz (13) and Dan Ticktum (9) would have overtaken Lucas di Grassi (3).

Season 8

In Season 8, there would have been a few changes to the top 10 in the World Championship. Antonio Felix da Costa (19), who actually finished eighth in the World Championship, would have overtaken Robin Frijns (14) and Lucas di Grassi (13). Frijns and di Grassi would also have swapped positions with one another. Andre Lotterer (15) would have overtaken Nick Cassidy (9) to take 11th place in the World Championship standings, whilst Max Günther (1) and Sergio Sette Camara (5) would have overtaken Oliver Turvey (0) at the bottom of the table. Antonio Giovinazzi (2) would also not have finished his only Formula E season without scoring any points. The Italian would also have been ranked ahead of Norman Nato.

Conclusion

As reaching the duels will in future be rewarded with a single point, consistently strong qualifiers stand to benefit most. However, as the field has been so evenly matched in recent years - with almost all drivers reaching the duels several times over the course of a season - the overall impact has remained modest.

No driver was so successful in qualifying over an entire season that their additional points would have equalled the value of a race win. Mitch Evans would have achieved the highest total in Season 9: his qualifying results would have earned him 23 additional points – two fewer than a race win.