Force India boss slams double points plan

Force India boss Vijay Mallya says he still fails to understand the logic of Formula 1’s decision to award double points for the final race of 2014.

Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone and the FIA announced the idea of double points for the final race of the Formula One season towards the end of last year and the plan was adopted for the 2014 Formula One World Championship season as it was approved by the Formula One strategy group.

This all means that the season finale in Abu Dhabi, a track with no history or soul is, points wise, twice as important as winning the likes of the iconic races such as this weekends race in Belgium or historical races such as Monaco or the British Grand Prix.

In fact with 24 points available for finishing fourth, that would be worth just one single point less than a race win during any other race weekend of the season.

Second place will take 36 points and third takes 30.

The proposal was met with anger from those in and around the sport, most fans and those in the media branded the gimmick as too artificial, whilst quadruple Formula One World Champion Sebastian Vettel said that idea was absurd and believed that drivers, fans and experts were ‘horrified’.

Back in December on VitalF1.com we ran a front page poll asking: Double points for the final race of 2014?

94% of our readers branded the plan as stupid, 5% didn’t care and 1% thought it was a positive step.

Despite the widespread condemnation from people inside and outside the sport, Ecclestone wanted to extend the double points plan to incorporate the final three races of the season.

However Ecclestone’s plan failed to receive unanimous backing from the teams or to get approval from FIA president Jean Todt so F1 will go into the last race of the season knowing that with double-points on offer, the seasons positions could be decided in the final race.

It’s suppose to add a level of excitement to the global television audience, but most believe it’s a gimmick with huge ramifications.

‘Right now Mercedes and Red Bull are somewhat way ahead – Mercedes certainly, but if you look from third to sixth in the constructors’ [championship] there’s Williams, Ferrari, Force India and McLaren and we’re all pretty tightly bunched up,’ Mallya told Autosport.

Third placed Ferrari currently hold a 7 point advantage over fourth place Williams.

With Force India 37 points behind Williams, with McLaren just one single point behind Force India in the F1 constructors standings.

‘There are still eight races to go, and the last one [for] double points.

‘Even if we go away from Brazil in third or fourth position and say ‘wow! What a season!’ everything could come to naught in Abu Dhabi.

‘Once again I don’t understand the logic of this.’ he concluded.