Double Points @ Final Race

[Richard]

Every year Bernie says a few outrageous things, every year there's an outcry and the journalists have great fun filling the pages with F1 stories. It's brilliant marketing and he doesn't even pay for it.

[Just_a_fan]

I just wonder why Ecclestone wasn't so busy coming up with regulations to hurt Ferrari back when they were the dominant team in the early 00's.

Regs were introduced for that very purpose. Think back to the "one set of tyres for the whole race" rule of 2005 which effectively killed Ferrari's dominance.

[Aesto]

Well forgive us for not believing the naive answer. Regardless of whether or not he meant to say that, it doesn't change the fact that the rule is completely idiotic. Looking at the most recent season we have had, double points would have had absolutely no impact on the standings. It's kind of hard to believe anything he says when the reasoning behind the rule doesn't even make sense.

1. Just because an answer isn't paranoid doesn't mean it's naive.
2. You still don't seem to get it. The point is not to make an impact on the standings (although it actually would have in 2012). The reason for double points is to postpone the point at which the championship is decided. If the championship is decided in Japan (as happened in 2013 and 2011), then viewership & race attendance figures are lower for India, Abu Dhabi, US and Brazil. Bernie gets his money from the race tracks and the TV companies. If they earn less money, they won't agree to pay as much to Bernie. Hence, he tries to change that situation.

It really doesn't need a better explanation than this one, it's completely rational and logical. No need to go looking for a stupid one, just because it sounds more outrageous.

[SilverArrow]

Well forgive us for not believing the naive answer. Regardless of whether or not he meant to say that, it doesn't change the fact that the rule is completely idiotic. Looking at the most recent season we have had, double points would have had absolutely no impact on the standings. It's kind of hard to believe anything he says when the reasoning behind the rule doesn't even make sense.

1. Just because an answer isn't paranoid doesn't mean it's naive.
2. You still don't seem to get it. The point is not to make an impact on the standings (although it actually would have in 2012). The reason for double points is to postpone the point at which the championship is decided. If the championship is decided in Japan (as happened in 2013 and 2011), then viewership & race attendance figures are lower for India, Abu Dhabi, US and Brazil. Bernie gets his money from the race tracks and the TV companies. If they earn less money, they won't agree to pay as much to Bernie. Hence, he tries to change that situation.

It really doesn't need a better explanation than this one, it's completely rational and logical. No need to go looking for a stupid one, just because it sounds more outrageous.

No I seem to get it quite fine. I'm questioning that very same logic. When one driver is winning race after race, I really don't think extending the championship one race further will suddenly convince fans that it's still wide open (2011, 2013). And if the championship is tight to begin with (2010, 2012), then there really is no point to the rule at all, and in fact it will probably have a negative impact. As you've pointed out, we would have a different champion in 2012, which is just ludicrous. That's using the four most recent seasons as examples. You can apply triple points to the last race, but if Vettel wins the first nine races this season, I can guarantee you viewing figures will continue to plummet even though the championship would not yet be won.

The fact that someone in his position is making such comments in public is my biggest concern. The fact that someone is defending this buffoon is icing on the cake.

[darkmninya]

Guys cant believe this will come in 2014, this is so stupid , I have no words.

That shitstorm if vettel wins wdc again in the last race because of double points!!!

[Zustoya]

There are many better ways of spicing up the show. Whatever people say about Max Mosley, his idea back in 2003 was brilliant and it would revolutionarise the spectacle - let every driver drive every car on the grid during the course of the season, and you'll find out who is truly the best. There would be no chance of Vettel winning nine in a row, and nobody would care if Red Bull won nine in a row with Hulkenberg, Grosjean, Bottas, or Bianchi behind the wheel. There would also be some giant-killing performances where Vettel or Alonso or Hamilton still triumph driving a Force India or Sauber. Where is the downside?

[danielk]

There are many better ways of spicing up the show. Whatever people say about Max Mosley, his idea back in 2003 was brilliant and it would revolutionarise the spectacle - let every driver drive every car on the grid during the course of the season, and you'll find out who is truly the best. There would be no chance of Vettel winning nine in a row, and nobody would care if Red Bull won nine in a row with Hulkenberg, Grosjean, Bottas, or Bianchi behind the wheel. There would also be some giant-killing performances where Vettel or Alonso or Hamilton still triumph driving a Force India or Sauber. Where is the downside?

Thats not F1 and is wrong on soooooo many levels. the whole point is driver & Car working together, working to develop the car together.

Ill assure you if the format was this F1 would not still be around now. The whole attraction of F1 is the development race with the driver. You do this you take this aspect away. To be honest that is about the worst idea i have ever heared.

[MOWOG]

You are young yet, Daniel. Trust me, as the years pile up, the incidence of dreadful ideas just seems to accelerate!

[dave34m]

There are many better ways of spicing up the show. Whatever people say about Max Mosley, his idea back in 2003 was brilliant and it would revolutionarise the spectacle - let every driver drive every car on the grid during the course of the season, and you'll find out who is truly the best. There would be no chance of Vettel winning nine in a row, and nobody would care if Red Bull won nine in a row with Hulkenberg, Grosjean, Bottas, or Bianchi behind the wheel. There would also be some giant-killing performances where Vettel or Alonso or Hamilton still triumph driving a Force India or Sauber. Where is the downside?

Just another stupid idea from Mosley and it disturbs me that you find it brilliant. Even if every driver drove every car during a season you'd still have people saying that Alonso was unlucky cause he got the Red Bull at a track that didn't suit it so he is still the best driver that has ever lived, its a total nonsense idea that would go nowhere to find out who is truly the best.

Motorsport has always been about the total driver/car package and always will be, some years the advantage is more heavily towards the car and sometimes not as much, I have always thought that people who argue for these things really don't understand motorsport at all.

Is Vettel better than Alonso, Hamilton or others, I dont really know for sure, does it matter? the only thing that does matter is that Red Bull/Vettel was better than Ferrari/Alonso and Mercedes/Hamilton in 2013. Thats the beauty of F1 and motorsport in general.

Now if you really want to know who is the best driver then the closest you will ever get to that is to have them all driving the same car at every track, but thats not F1 is it.

[dave34m]

Guys cant believe this will come in 2014, this is so stupid , I have no words.

That shitstorm if vettel wins wdc again in the last race because of double points!!!

I personally would find that hilarious, especially if he beat one of the fan boy favorites like Raikkonen or Alonso, the internet would explode.

[Phil]

Guys cant believe this will come in 2014, this is so stupid , I have no words.

That shitstorm if vettel wins wdc again in the last race because of double points!!!

I personally would find that hilarious, especially if he beat one of the fan boy favorites like Raikkonen or Alonso, the internet would explode.

Isn't that the thing though? This last race double point can only lose. If it doesn't impact the championship, it won't matter. However if it does - then the shitstorm will be unimaginable. Do you we want a winner to take the crown due to the last points? No.

The only upside of this farce is the potential of more spectators (watching to find out if there will be a shitstorm or not - but deep down, every fan will be hoping that it will not impact the race). This in my book makes it a epic fail. The potential negative aspect far outweigh the positiv aspect of it.

[dave34m]

Guys cant believe this will come in 2014, this is so stupid , I have no words.

That shitstorm if vettel wins wdc again in the last race because of double points!!!

I personally would find that hilarious, especially if he beat one of the fan boy favorites like Raikkonen or Alonso, the internet would explode.

Isn't that the thing though? This last race double point can only lose. If it doesn't impact the championship, it won't matter. However if it does - then the shitstorm will be unimaginable. Do you we want a winner to take the crown due to the last points? No.

The only upside of this farce is the potential of more spectators (watching to find out if there will be a shitstorm or not - but deep down, every fan will be hoping that it will not impact the race). This in my book makes it a epic fail. The potential negative aspect far outweigh the positiv aspect of it.

Totally agree, just saying it would be funny if Vettel won again because of it.

[CBeck113]

AMuS just reported that the idea has been dropped in their ticker:
"Wir haben übrigens schlechte Nachrichten für alle Vettel-Fans. Die Formel 1-Strategie-Gruppe hat die Anträge abgelehnt. Es gibt keinen Aufschub der Homologationsfrist. Und es gibt keine doppelten Punkte in den letzten 3 Rennen."
We have bad news for Vettel fans. The F1 Strategie Group renounced the requests. There will be no extension of the homoligation limit. And there will be no double points at the last three races.

[mikeerfol]

So that means double points for the last race?

[CBeck113]

No double points at all.