FIA to tweak controversial Super Licence points

As part of an effort to tighten up the qualifying criteria for those hoping to race in F1, the FIA imposed a minimum age and the requirement of drivers to score enough qualifying points in junior categories before they would be allowed the mandatory licence.

However, a number of series complained about the original weighting – either because they felt their category did not score highly enough or because it was not there at all.

At a meeting of the FIA's World Motor Sport Council in Mexico on Friday, the FIA confirmed that it would be expanding the list of categories that would be included and would be changing the weighting of points as well.

The future F2 championship has been given equal status to other leading single seater categories like GP2 and European F3, while Formula Renault 3.5 has been moved ahead of GP3.

The FIA has also added touring car series - with DTM and WTCC both securing a place in the table.

There will also be a reprieve for current F1 test drivers, like Pascal Wehrlein and Susie Wolff, who have a Super Licence at the moment but risked not being allowed one next year because they have not raced enough in F1.

The FIA announced that current Super Licence holders will keep their entitlement for three years.

The winner of the FIA's Formula E championship will also be automatically handed a Super Licence.

The new weightings are as follows...

Engine penalty tweaks

Formula 1's engine penalty system has also been altered with immediate effect, to ensure that drivers are not handed extra penalties in races.

Following an outcry over the spate of penalties that were already being dished out, the FIA has approved a plan to ensure that the maximum punishment now available is demotion to the back of the grid.

Extra engine for Honda

The FIA also ratified a plan for new F1 engine manufacturers to be given an extra free engine for each driver in their first year.

This will be retrospectively given to Honda for 2015, which means the next power unit it uses will not result in any punishment.

That could open the door to it electing to use tokens earlier than originally planned.