Drivers divided on the point of the fastest lap in the race

Several drivers reacted following the implementation of a bonus point awarded to the holder of the best lap in a race in Grands Prix, on the condition that the author finishes the event in the points. With 21 meetings on the 2019 calendar, these are all potential points for participants to look for.

“It can be good, but it can also work against you when you're fighting for the title, commented Max Verstappen. But I think time will tell. The team can obviously play with that anyway. »

“That’s another 21 points and it will be interesting to see how people try to get them. This should be interesting,” confirmed the reigning world champion Lewis Hamilton.

“I don’t expect big changes. We’ll see if that changes things after a few races.”, qualified Sebastian Vettel.

Obtaining the bonus point could especially be advantageous for the mid-grid teams, for whom each additional point can make the difference in the hierarchy.

“When I first heard about it, I thought it affected the whole grid. It's a good thing it's reserved for the Top 10, highlighted Daniel Ricciardo. There is therefore potentially something to lose if we choose to go to the pits to put on a new set of tires in order to get the fastest lap in the race. I haven't thought about it too much yet, but I don't think it will be decisive for the championship even if there is always a possibility. »

"I don't think it will affect us, at least for the moment, regretted Robert Kubica whose Williams FW42 is considered the worst performing car in the field. But it can offer strange scenarios with cars stopping in the pits. We might see 3 or 4 cars coming in suddenly. It'll be a bit of a game of dominoes, but I'm not really interested in it. »