Championship points system changes for next season

The top 15 cars will score points in the 2012 British Touring Car Championship season, after record breaking grids have seen the series revise the points system to accommodate the larger field.

With the grid boasting a 30 car entry for the final race of the season at Silverstone, and with a maximum grid capacity of 32 in the BTCC, Championship organisers TOCA have confirmed the points will extend down to 15th place next year, whereas previously points have only been paid out to the top ten drivers in the results.

The BTCC operates its own system from the standard FIA system, where 25 points are allocated for a win. A race winner in the BTCC previously picked up 15 points, though that’s effectively 16 with the bonus point on offer for any driver who manages to lead a lap. Another point is also awarded for the pole position driver and for the driver who sets the fastest lap in each race. Points were then allocated from second to tenth at 12, 10, 8, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1. A similar system was used in the independents’ Championship except without the bonus points for fastest lap, pole and leading laps.

Apart from confirming that the top 15 finishers will score points in both the overall and independents’ points next season, the exact details of that new system are as yet unknown.