INDYCAR: FIA REVISES SUPER LICENSE POINTS

In Tashkent, Uzbekistan, the FIA World Motor Sport Council held its final meeting of the year, attended by FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem. As is often the case on such occasions, a number of strategic issues concerning the future of international motorsport were discussed. Among the most significant was the revision of the points system required to obtain a Super License, the mandatory step for entry into Formula 1, with particular focus on IndyCar.

The new framework approved by the FIA makes substantial changes to the middle of the championship standings, specifically positions from third through ninth, significantly increasing the points awarded compared to the previous regulations. The values assigned to the top two finishers remain unchanged, continuing to award 40 points to the champion and 30 to the runner-up. The first adjustment concerns third place, which rises from 20 to 25 points. An even more notable change applies to fourth place, where the points total doubles from 10 to 20.

The increases continue through the lower positions as well: fifth place now earns 15 points instead of 8, while sixth increases from 6 to 10 points. Seventh place is upgraded from 4 to 8 points, eighth from 3 to 6, and ninth place will now award 3 points, one more than under the previous system. This recalibration meaningfully reshapes the value of results achieved in the American championship.

The FIA’s decision can be interpreted as a clear acknowledgment of IndyCar’s competitive level. With this update, the U.S.-based series moves closer to Formula 2, long regarded as the benchmark championship for access to Formula 1 in terms of Super License points. The objective appears clear: to better balance the value of different development pathways and make the route to the top category less restrictive.

When considering the practical implications of this revision, it is difficult not to think of the Colton Herta case. The American driver, in an effort to accumulate the points needed for a Super License, chose to leave IndyCar and move to Formula 2 with the Hitech team. Under the old system, he would have been required to finish at least sixth in an IndyCar season; under the new rules, an eighth-place finish would have been sufficient—exactly the same minimum threshold required in Formula 2.

This is far from a minor change, raising questions about the timing of the decision and leaving room for the idea that this very situation may have helped accelerate the regulatory intervention.

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