Formula 1’s governing body, the FIA, has announced that from next season double points will be awarded in the final race of the year in a bid to keep the title fights interesting.
This year’s Drivers’ and Constructors’ Championships were decided with a number of races still to go as Red Bull and Sebastian Vettel took a stranglehold after the summer break.
The German’s dominance saw him claim his fourth consecutive world title with four races left on the calendar. It was the second time the 24-year-old had scooped the top prize in the sport with multiple grands prix still to go having lifted the title with five races left in 2011.
The FIA are keen to avoid similar situations in the future and so will introduce double points for the final race of the year, which in 2014 is scheduled to be held in Brazil.
According to a statement from the governing body, the introduction of 50 points for a win instead of the usual 25 will “maximise focus on the championship until the end of the campaign”.
Had the new system been in place for the past two decades then there would be three different world champions in the history books, including Felipe Massa who would have beaten Lewis Hamilton to the title in 2008.
If the scheme had been in place in 2012 Fernando Alonso would have won a third world title, while Kimi Raikkonen would have piped Michael Schumacher to top spot in 2003.
The introduction of double points is one of a number of new measures being introduced by the FIA, with plans to adopt a cost cap to be implemented from 2015.
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