It's widely known that Formula 1's penalty system is disliked by fans, often due to the sheer number of penalties handed out each weekend and the confusion it causes when the grid is vastly different to the qualifying result.
F1 has promised to look into the problem, although has yet to offer up a solid alternative, but looks to have now turned to fans to gauge their opinion on a number of alternative systems.
A new F1 Fan Voice survey – a research website created by Formula One Management – admits that fans are "not satisfied" with the current system and asks for alternatives to be ranked, all of which must adhere to four simple rules: be simple to understand; a temporary set back for the driver; not encourage drivers to avoid running in qualifying and not financially related.
The alternatives include adding ballast to a drivers car for qualifying, which would handicap them slightly. Different amounts could be imposed depending on the severity of the penalty. If an infringement is committed during qualifying or the race, the ballast would be added at the following event.
Other options are similar, but pose reducing the fuel flow limit, cutting practice time or disabling DRS during qualifying, instead of ballast.
Some options aren't qualifying related, including cutting wind tunnel time, applying a stop/go penalty during the race (which can be served at any time) or deducting points.
This would see either Drivers' of Constructors' points deducted depending on whether it was a driver or team infringement, such as an early release or loose wheel, which aren't under the drivers' control.
The last proposal is often suggested by fans as a way of hitting a driver/team hard, without compromising the result of the race.
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