Formula One officially announced a rumor overhaul of its points system on Friday, one that awards points to more drivers each race and promises to make for a more exciting season championship.

The new system awards 25 points for finish first, 20 points for second, 15 points for third and 10 points for fourth, with points going 8-6-5-3-2-1 for fifth to tenth positions. The previous system had only awarded points for drivers finishing in the first eight spots.

“It’s a great idea,” current World Champion Jenson Button told BBC Radio 5. “It’s nice that you get five points over second for winning.

“That’s important because we all love winning races. I won six races this year and I got just two more points.”

The Times of London is reporting that Formula One is also introducing a stewarding system for 2010 designed to “de-politicize” the process of race decisions. There will now be a permanent panel made up of three Formula One officials and a former driver to make decisions. An additional panel made up of three former drivers will also be appointed to serve in an “advisory” role.

Related articles by Zemanta

• Hamilton challenge excites Button (news.bbc.co.uk)
• Never mind the finish, it’s a successful year for Red Bull (cbssports.com)
• F1 champion Jenson Button joins McLaren (thestar.com)