Breaking news
Formula 1
2016 rules would have stopped Schumacher return - report
The FIA's new super licence points system would even have locked Michael Schumacher out of F1.
GMM
Edited: Jan 8, 2015, 6:52 AM
Copy link
Share on Viber
Apparently reacting to the controversial debut this year of 17-year-old Max Verstappen, the sport's governing body will clamp down hard on the qualifications for the mandatory F1 driving credential in 2016.
But as the details of the licence points system for junior categories emerged this week, some calculations show that many of the sport's top names would have fallen foul of the FIA's tough new criteria for experience.
Writing in Germany's Auto Motor und Sport, correspondent Tobias Gruner calculated that someone like Nico Hulkenberg, having won F3 and GP2 titles, would have collected almost three times the necessary 40 points for his F1 debut.
But Daniel Ricciardo, on the other hand, would have seen his 2011 debut denied, despite collecting experience in Formula Renault, F3 and the World Series.
Button, Raikkonen would not been affected
Also locked out of F1 at the very beginning of their careers would have been the highly-respected veterans Kimi Raikkonen and Jenson Button, who went on to win world championships.
Gruner added: "And since a DTM title counts for nothing, former Force India driver Paul di Resta also would not have got his super licence."
And if the 2016 system had applied at the end of 2009, the great seven time world champion Michael Schumacher would not have been allowed to return to F1 the following year for Mercedes, Auto Motor und Sport continued.
That is because the FIA is requiring even former F1 drivers to have contested at least 5 Grands Prix in the past season, or 15 Grands Prix in the previous three years.
"Theoretically," said Gruner, "the record world champion would not have qualified for a super licence."
We want your opinion!
What would you like to see on Motorsport.com?
Take our 5 minute survey.
- The Motorsport.com Team
Read and post comments
Read also :
Share Or Save This Story
Copy link
Share on Viber
Previous article Surname has harmed Susie Wolff's career - Toto
Next article McLaren, Ferrari to launch in late January
Top Comments
There are no comments at the moment. Would you like to write one?
View More & Comment
More from
GMM
The season is still very long - Rosberg
Formula 1
Formula 1
The season is still very long - Rosberg
Jules Bianchi's father speaks of family's continued hopes
Formula 1
Formula 1
Jules Bianchi's father speaks of family's continued hopes
Sauber under no illusions about constructors' position
Formula 1
Formula 1
Chinese GP
Sauber under no illusions about constructors' position
More from
Paul di Resta
When Paul Di Resta beat Sebastian Vettel to the F3 title
F3
F3
When Paul Di Resta beat Sebastian Vettel to the F3 title
Paul Di Resta cautious about the WEC's future: "What's good never lasts forever"
WEC
WEC
Paul Di Resta cautious about the WEC's future: "What's good never lasts forever"
Why Peugeot swapped Jean-Eric Vergne for Stoffel Vandoorne in WEC 2026
WEC
WEC
Bahrain
Why Peugeot swapped Jean-Eric Vergne for Stoffel Vandoorne in WEC 2026
More from
Mercedes
The figures that show Mercedes has lost its supremacy in F1 2026
Formula 1
Formula 1
United States GP
21 h
The figures that show Mercedes has lost its supremacy in F1 2026
Mercedes: “We had people who hadn’t done a live pitstop for 15 years” in Singapore GP
Formula 1
Formula 1
Singapore GP
Mercedes: “We had people who hadn’t done a live pitstop for 15 years” in Singapore GP
Latest news
Marc Marquez targeting “as close to 37 points as possible” at Aprilia-friendly Phillip Island
MotoGP
MGP MotoGP
Australian GP
42 min
Marc Marquez targeting “as close to 37 points as possible” at Aprilia-friendly Phillip Island
Porsche's IMSA GTP programme set to end: Could Penske switch to Cadillac?
WEC
WEC WEC
Losail
55 min
Porsche's IMSA GTP programme set to end: Could Penske switch to Cadillac?
“It will be so sad” - MotoGP riders lament loss of Phillip Island
MotoGP
MGP MotoGP
Australian GP
2 h
“It will be so sad” - MotoGP riders lament loss of Phillip Island
NASCAR explains why they penalized Zane Smith after latest clash with Carson Hocevar
NASCAR Cup
NAS NASCAR Cup
Phoenix II
16 h
NASCAR explains why they penalized Zane Smith after latest clash with Carson Hocevar
Feature
Discover prime content
Subscribe and access Motorsport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
You have 2 options:
- Become a subscriber.
- Disable your adblocker.
Subscribe now Already subscribed? Sign in here
Already disabled your adblocker?
Reload page
Manage Alerts
Subscribe