Doubled points: an unjust rule that will decide the title, according to Toto Wolff

As the drivers’ and constructors’ titles should not escape Mercedes, the internal struggle between its two drivers could drag on until the last Grand Prix, with the victory offering no less than 50 points, following the introduction of this rule in the 2014 Sporting Regulations. If the fight remains as tight as it has been so far, the gap between the two drivers should not exceed these famous 50 points, and any trouble during this final race weekend could be fatal to the title hopes of either one.

Among the first concerned, Toto Wolff regrets the introduction of this new rule: “I do not think this is a good rule and we should not have had it.” However, beyond the purely sporting interest of this provision lies Bernie Ecclestone’s desire to maintain the championship’s interest for as long as possible, especially after a season dominated by Sebastian Vettel. The commercial rights holder, who is concerned with television audiences, said that we should keep the suspense until the last race, and it seems that he is right.

According to the executive director of Mercedes, this decision will allow the title hopes of both of its drivers to be kept until the last race. Besides, they do not want to worry about the fact that the final victory will be decided by double points. But it will be difficult: « I think that the driver who loses the title because of the double points will need psychological treatment, but we are not there yet.”

For Toto Wolff, a particular point will be to watch with this last race: « Even if you are 30 points behind, you can turn the situation around in Abu Dhabi if the championship leader abandons. » And given the current situation regarding his two drivers who are leading the world championship, this will be a crucial point. « The battle between Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton is very close, retirements will play an important role ».

On several occasions since the announcement of the introduction of double points, observers of the discipline have rather expressed their discontent, with voices supporting this project being relatively rare. In a survey conducted on MotorsInside, nearly 87% of the voters (379) showed themselves to be against their implementation, compared to 11.2% in favor (49). A total of 436 people voted.