Do MotoGP Points Need Reform? Bagnaia Thinks so
The MotoGP points system has changed little since 1993, and Ducati MotoGP star, Francesco Bagnaia, thinks it’s time to change
Ducati MotoGP rider Francesco Bagnaia thinks the current points format in MotoGP needs tweaking, as he calls for bonus points to be introduced to the current two race per weekend format.
The current points system was introduced in 1993, awarding points to the top 15 riders on a sliding scale from 25 points for first place to one point for the rider finishing fifteenth. The introduction of the Sprint Race format, created in 2023, allowed riders to win further points in the shorter race held on the Saturday before the Grand Prix. This awarded 12 points to first place, nine points to second, seven points to third, and each of the remaining positions (down to ninth place) all receive one point less than the rider ahead. This system means 37 points are on offer to the rider who can win both the Sprint and the Grand Prix on the same weekend.
Bagnaia, who lost out on his third championship title in 2024 to Jorge Martin by just 10 points, is now calling for the MotoGP points system to be looked at, with the Torinese rider wanting to see bonus points awarded for winning both races and for fastest laps.
2024 saw Bagnaia win eleven grand prix and seven sprint races, although when he wasn’t on the top step of the sprint race podium, Bagnaia failed to maximise his points haul. Conversely, the Pramac-mounted Martin finished all but three sprint races on the podium, and despite only winning three grands prix in 2024, it was his ten second place finishes and three third place finishes on a Sunday that did a lot of heavy lifting for him.
Speaking at Ducati’s end-of-season Campioni in Pista event, Bagnaia said:
“You have to adapt to what the rules are, also because the system we have right now allowed me to fight for the title until the end, even if I did eight zeros [no score races].
“However, sprint races affect several fronts, so that's something extra. It has certainly changed a lot the way of scoring points in a weekend.
“You have to get used to it. Although with the introduction of sprint races, they should consider incorporating some bonuses, perhaps for winning both races or for the fastest lap.”
Formula 1 has used bonus points for a fastest lap since 2019, with only drivers in the top ten being able to fight for the extra point on offer for posting the fastest in-race lap time. The concept was introduced to give a bit of impetus to mid-field drivers, who at times would cruise home for a mediocre result, incentivising a late-race push for a point that could be worth millions in prize money at the end of the season.
In reality, it never really did that, and as Max Verstappen showed in recent years, with devastating effect, it normally ends up in the pocket of the driver out front who has a huge gap and can pit for fresh tyres, gifting them a low-fuel qualifying lap. F1 bosses are scrapping this system in 2025, which says a lot about its effectiveness.
Should MotoGP bosses appease Bagnaia’s desire, and award a point for the fastest lap and for a double win at the same event, the Italian would have still missed out on the 2024 championship, but only by a sliver. Let's assume a single-point format; one point for a double at the same event, and another for the fastest lap in the Grand Prix. Bagnaia had five events when he won both races, putting him five points closer to Martin, add to that his six fastest laps and he’s now a single point ahead of the Pramac rider. Martin has some bonus points to add to his pot too, though, with two fastest laps on a Sunday meaning even if the system had been in place, he’d still have wound up the champion.
Bagnaia’s view that the current points system needs reform isn’t shared with all of the grid, with his 2025 teammate highlighting how the system allows for close racing to the end of the season. “For me, it's fine as it is now.” Marquez said per Crash.net. “The system is balanced, because it allows the championship to remain open until the end, so I'm happy with how it is now.”
While the points scoring format in MotoGP is little changed since the 1990s, save for the introduction of the sprint races, compared to some other motorsports, it generally ends up with a closer battle for the championship crown at the end of the season - not to mention individual races being more closely contested and with more overtakes. For many fans, tweaking the rules with bonus points might seem like a gimmick, although with Sprint races being universally applauded since their full-time introduction, it does at least show that change is not always a bad thing.
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Simon (AKA Toad) has been working within the motorcycle industry for more than twelve years, and a member of the motorcyclist family since birth. Growing up around British-built single and twins, it was inevitable that a life on two wheels was on the cards, from a very early age!
