Double points is artificial says Rosberg

Formula One Championship contender Nico Rosberg has admitted that the double points scenario for the season finale is ‘artificial’.

But seeing as its the German’s best way to rip the title from Mercedes team-mate Lewis Hamilton’s grasp, he also said ‘It’s a fantastic rule!’

In a close championship battle, there has often been small margins between success and failure for the Silver Arrows this season.

Early season reliability issues handed the advantage to Nico Rosberg from the curtain raiser in Australia. Retirement for Hamilton and race victory for Rosberg meant that Rosberg led the championship up until the fifth race of the season in Spain.

Four consecutive victories for Hamilton put the Brit just three points clear of Rosberg.

Then the controversies of Monaco qualifying hit the team, with Rosberg, according to some, cheating his way to pole position and the subsequent race victory. This handed the championship lead back to Rosberg.

A second retirement of the season for Hamilton followed in Canada, before qualifying problems severely hit Hamilton in Austria, extending Rosberg’s lead to 29 points.

At Silverstone, despite another qualifying issue for Hamilton, the Brit won on home soil, thanks in part to Rosberg’s first retirement of the season. The gap was closed back down to 4 points in Rosberg’s favour.

But this was not to be the start of a momentum swing Hamilton would have hoped for. Instead he suffered a brake failure in German qualifying leaving him to start from the back.

In Hungary an engine fire in qualifying forced him to start from the pit-lane.

Whilst in Belgium, while leading the race, Rosberg hit his team-mate puncturing his rear tyre and ending his race.

The Formula One Championship lead was firmly back in the hands of Rosberg, with a 29 point advantage.

But from that point on Hamilton has dominated his team-mate.

Five consecutive victories for Hamilton, means he has now won 10 of the 17 Grand Prix thus-far.

Hamilton now holds a 24 point lead over Rosberg a 53 point swing over five races.

However with Abu Dhabi holding double points and 50 points for the winner, Rosberg still holds a strong chance of clinching the title.

‘It’s a fantastic rule, it’s the best thing in a long time!’ Rosberg said to Sky Sports.

The reality of the situation is thus, in any other season past and probably future, Hamilton would almost have the championship wrapped up.

Victory in Brazil for Hamilton, even with Rosberg finishing second would see his points lead unassailable.

Or Hamilton could have approached the final two races in a safe calm manner, knowing a couple of podium finishes, would be enough to secure his second career title.

But with double points, Hamilton could win his 11th race out of 18 on Sunday and Rosberg could retire and the championship would still be in the balance with Hamilton holding a 49 point lead with 50 points still remaining.

If Rosberg was to finish second behind Hamilton in Brazil, a retirement for Hamilton in Abu Dhabi would leave Rosberg needing another second place finish to win the title, leaving the German as 2014 Formula One World Champion with only four race wins in comparison to Hamilton’s hypothetical eleven.

Rosberg added: ‘Many fans are not going to like it and say it is artificial, which I understand because it is.

‘But at the same time, though, if it sometimes keeps the championship alive until the last race – which I hope it does this time because I hope to pick up some points this weekend – then that it is a good thing.

‘We need to review it after the season whether it was good or bad.’

?Everybody can have their opinion, It?s the points that count in the end and then you can debate who deserves it.?