Formula 1 to award double points for the final race.

[Jimlaad43]

Yes, you heard right, there will be a double points race at the end of the Formula 1 season from 2014.

From Autosport

Formula 1 will award double points for its final round from the 2014 season in an effort to keep championship battles open longer.
The move was agreed by the F1 Strategy Group and the Formula One Commission at a meeting in Paris on Monday.

It will automatically become part of the regulations as the FIA World Motor Sport Council agreed last week to give the Strategy Group and Commission a mandate to agree rule changes on this occasion.

An FIA statement said that the change had been agreed "in order to maximise focus on the championship until the end of the campaign."

It applies to both the drivers' and constructors' championships, and means that the winner of the final grand prix next year will get 50 points, with 36 for second place and so on through the top 10.

Had that system been in place in recent years, it would have changed the outcome of both the 2012 and '08 title fights.

Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton won those crowns respectively by claiming sufficient minor points to stay ahead of rivals Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa.

But under the new system, Alonso's second place at Interlagos last year would have given him enough points to leapfrog Vettel, while Massa's 2008 Brazilian GP victory would have denied Hamilton the championship on that occasion.

 

[Hun200kmh]

What. A. Joke.

The Chase to be implemented in 2015. It adds to the excitment. You heard it here first.

 

[Carbonox]

As if that helps anything, because Vettel.

 

[Northstar]

My reactions to the new things announced today.

Budget Cap - Good luck with that.
Driver numbers - A good start, but worthless if they keep the numbers as small as they are now.

Double Points...

 

[Bopop4]

NASCAR is slowly creeping over to Europe.

 

[Chqr]

Spot on. F1 is being NASCAR'd. Not a bad thing at all mind you.

 

[GOTMAXPOWER]

Hopefully this will be dropped soon, it's probably hopefully just a ploy to get media attention on something other than the old man going to jail.

 

[Jimlaad43]

I think the budget cap is the only good idea of all three. The numbers thing is a VERY bad idea that I do not like and the double points thing will happen at Abu Dhabi! At least pick a circuit where anything can happen or a special one (Monaco for example), but not Vettel territory.

NASCRAP is slowly creeping over to Europe.

Oh god no.

 

[Hun200kmh]

Lots of funny suggestions on twitter to add excitment to F1

With the new F1 points system, does it mean in the future Vettel will not win it with three races to go but just one or two? #F1

@BBC5LiveF1 @BBCSport I swear they won't stop until it's like Mario Kart!

Fiddling while Rome burns is a phrase that comes to mind. Sort costs, tyre testing and overtaking. Double points not asked for or required!

Crikey, closed the laptop for two mins to put the tree up and what on earth has happened? As @DollyZLlama would say 'Why The Face??? #F1REGS

@F1onNBCSports @radiolemans Why don't they just make the first 18 races no points. Guarantees championship finale then!

I am ideologically opposed to a circuit as asinine as Abu Dhabi being worth double the points of Monaco, Suzuka or Spa.

Double points rule a massive own goal by the FIA (and the teams who agreed it) at a time when F1 is struggling for credibility

Perhaps it should be like It's a Knockout, drivers play their joker before qualifying and claim double points for that race

@adamcooperf1 They should open up the Nordschleife for #F1 again and award double points for that.

In case of tie on points in final round of 2014 #F1 championship, the title protagonists go head to head in a cage match...

@radiolemans Let's put it this way: the decision makes me happier with my idea to skip China F1 on TV for seeing WEC Silverstone live!

So next year's F1 finale in Abu Dhabi is a 24-hour race, right?

LOL

 

[Akmuq]

Spot on. F1 is being NASCAR'd. Not a bad thing at all mind you.

Because NASCAR is such a credible series.

 

[otakukid96]

No That means Vettel will have to fight harder earlier to make sure he wins.

 

[SilverArrow]

All that's missing are the short-cuts and sprinklers...

 

[Furinkazen]

Is this NASCAR in europe? Are the Frances creeping over? Looking forward to competition safety cars and the return of Montoya in a car with a engine that keeps blowing up in flames.

 

[dhandeh]

Is it April 1st already?

 

[Earth]

Actually, like DRS, this is below NASCAR.

 

[Tired Tyres]

Pathetic. It's the end of the so called sport for me. They should just go back to 10, 6, 4, 3, 2 and 1 for sixth.

 

[Ardius]

...and F1 officially drops below Indycar for pure sporting competition. Holy crap I never thought I'd say that!

BTCC will be my main interest next year, it kind of happened this year already but rules like this push me away. Is there anything left that's not regulated any more? Talk of mandatory pit stops too

 

[chromatic9]

They could have mystery penalty on the last race for everyone like one team has to run wet tyres at all times, another has four sand bags added to the car. The team in 8th will have to strap 5 my little ponies to the wings.

 

[F1 fan]

What a ridiculous gimmick. I hope sense prevails and this decision is overturned.

 

[GTPorsche]

Awesome.

I so look forward to watching The Formula 1-too-many-gimmicks World Championship.

/sarcasm

 

[ROAD_DOGG33J]

No That means Vettel will have to fight harder earlier to make sure he wins.

No, he will have a hard fought season that he will win in the last round because of the new points system.

 

[JOEBEEZ]

What a load of rubbish. F1 has already lost heaps of credibility over the last few years, this could be the final straw for many fans.

 

[Wardez]

This is ridiculous, brings in all kinds of random implications as well, teams will hold back towards the end of the season massively, only to pour everything into Abu Dhabi. Feels like some money was passed around under the table in those meetings, just sad.

What they should do to try and prevent teams from settling for points paying positions rather than go for podiums or wins is reintroduce dropped rounds.

 

[Northstar]

Kind of disappointed Sniff Petrol hasn't commented on the topic yet.

Also, Bernie's idea of F1 in future years.

 

[niky]

All they really need is a fully reversed grid. With weight penalties. 100 grams for every championship point the driver wins. Replacement drivers, of course, inherit the penalties of the guy they're replacing.

 

[LFBlackLabel]

There's a petition here:

http://www.petitionbuzz.com/petitions/formula1

 

[alonsof1fan91]

Permament driver numbers is great (GV 27 forever), but this rule... I don't know.

BTW if the old number system stayed (it got changed in 95, right?), Alonso would have used number 27 in his renault days and become world champion with it and later it would have been his number during his Ferrari stint

 

[R0ssingt0n]

Stupid Idea.

With a bit of luck this will turn some more drivers away from F1 and into the WEC!

Seriously though it's kinda sad to see the state F1 is in compared to past decades...

 

[Jimlaad43]

Guys, I have...
listen
I've got an idea.

Guys...
I'll add another race...to the calendar!

 

[Adam41]

I don't know what's worse, the double points or only just finding out Abu Dhabi is the last race of the season again. Why has it gone back to Abu Dhabi?