Maybe new thinkpads are exceptionally bad, because I've used thinkpads daily for decades now and have never had this problem. X40, X61, numerous X61S's, X201S, X220, X230, X250, and mix of T-series machines back in the day, not once has this been an issue for me. And I abuse these machines to the point that I replace the worn-polished and sloppy keyboards, and often crack the chassis, they don't live an easy life under my hands.
The only remotely related phenomenon I've seen is after resting on the trackpoint steadily long enough, it learns that to be the new center as it's constantly adapting. So upon finally removing my resting finger, it will drift just long enough for the adaptive centering to update and the drift stops. But that's perfectly normal and very short-lived.