Formula 1 Championship To Be Decided By Race Wins For 2009 Season

There are changes afoot for that 'very fast procession of cars' that was formerly known as 'the pinnacle of motorsport called Formula 1'.

The F1 points system is to be revised for the 2009 season. It will now shift to a focus on outright wins rather than points accumulation through consistent driving.

Last year's championship winner, Lewis Hamilton, won five races and drove sufficiently well in the remaining Grand Prix events to take top spot. (All fine and dandy except that Ferrari's Felipe Massa won six events.)

In the current system, drivers are awarded 10 points for a win, 8 for second place, 6 for third and so on until the 8th position.

Under the new system to take effect this year, outright wins will determine the championship with the points coming into play in the event of a tie. With drivers hungrier for top spot on the podium, fans may finally see a return to real racing.

And while it may be a 'catch 22' for teams as drivers put it all on the line to go for the win (which may result in more bent cars and big fat DNFs), there won't be many fans complaining.

We like the sound of this change (heck, at this rate F1 will return to being an event worth staying awake for).