Formula One has approved a new scoring system with points extended to the top 10 drivers in a record-equalling 19-race 2010 season that will start and finish in the Middle East.
The International Automobile Federation says its world motor sport council has agreed the new system which will reward race winners with 25 points rather than 10.
The change, following the expansion of the starting grid to 13 teams from 10, would not have altered the outcome of the past season, won by Brawn GP and Britain's Jenson Button, but would have given points to some drivers who failed to score.
Button says it's a great idea to have a five-point margin between first and second instead of two under the old system, which rewarded the top eight and has been criticised for failing to put a premium on winning.
