The decision to award double points for the final race of the Formula 1 season from 2014 is one of the more harebrained moves made in the sport.
Created as a means to drum up interest for the final Grand Prix, it comes across as gimmicky.
In short, it is a way of trying to stop Sebastian Vettel-like domination from occuring but is not guaranteed to work. Under next year's points system, the German would still have won the World Championship with a few races to spare.
The change seems motivated by commercial concerns - in terms of flagging viewing figures - rather than a credible attempt to improve F1.
The past decade has seen more tinkering with the points system than at any other time during the 63-year history of the Formula 1 world championship with little payback...
- From 1950 until 1959, the top five finishers were awarded points. The race winner got eight points, with the remaining top five finishers getting 6, 4, 3 and 2 points respectively. There was also 1 point awarded for the fastest lap of the race. Despite the small points difference, Argentinian legend Juan Manuel Fangio was still able to win five world titles during that decade, including the four-in-a-row that Vettel has just achieved.
- For the next 30 years, the changes were minimal. Race winners were awarded 9 points while 1 point was no longer given for the fastest lap but to the sixth place finisher.
- The next change came in 1991 when race winners were awarded 10 points, while the rest of the Top 6 was unchanged.
- In response to Michael Schumacher's dominance, the system was revamped again in 2003. Points were now awarded to the Top 8 finishers: 10 for first, 8 for second, 6 for third and so on with 1 point for 8th. Schumacher won that season's Championship narrowly but triumphed again in 2004.
- 2010 saw the most radical change in the history of the sport. Race winners were now awarded 25 points and the Top 10 all received points. That period from 2010 has seen Sebastian Vettel's dominance emerge and crystalize.
