The old system of scoring points allowed for some occasional retirements: only 11 best results out of 16 races counted towards the championship. These days all

The old system of scoring points allowed for some occasional retirements: only 11 best results out of 16 races counted towards the championship. These days all results count, and the difference between 1st and 2nd place is smaller (9 or 10 points vs 6 before, 25 vs 18 now), so drivers are less incentivized to take a risky pass for the win. That is one part of why Formula 1 is so boring now. The other part is a Draconian ban on in-season testing, which makes it far harder for lagging teams to catch up: previously teams could develop their cars mid-season, now whoever has the best car in March wins the championship.