Teams also back-track on standing re-starts after Safety Car periods
Thursday 27 November 2014 12:34, UK
Formula 1 has agreed to scrap its controversial double-points season finale while plans for standing Safety Car re-starts have also been abandoned.
Both were decided during meetings of the sport’s Strategy Group and F1 Commission in Geneva this week and are expected to ratified by the FIA’s World Motor Sport Council early next month.
The idea of awarding double points at the Abu Dhabi GP has proved almost universally unpopular since it was first announced in December last year.
Although the intention was to try and guarantee that the title would be decided at the final race, as it turned out the battle between Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg went all the way to Abu Dhabi regardless.
Neither did double points play a part in the outcome, although it did influence some minor positions in the Drivers’ Championship.
Even Bernie Ecclestone admitted it was a bad idea, although F1’s commercial rights controller had in fact wanted to award double points at each of the final three races.
Meanwhile, teams have back-tracked on the idea of standing Safety Car re-starts after giving it further consideration.
The intention had been to use standing re-starts as a means of creating more spectacle. However, there were safety concerns while some drivers also thought the idea unfair.
