F1 in 2014 looks set for a shakeup after the FIA "unanimously approved" new regulations which include the awarding of DOUBLE points for the final race of the season. The aim here, says sport's governing body, is to "maximise focus on the Championship until the end of the season".
Little doubt where the power in F1 really is
And boy, has it not gone down well. Since the announcement F1 enthusiasts have been pretty much united in their condemnation of the new rule - the first time in history that any single Grand Prix would award a greater number of points to any other in the same season.
To see how the new rules could shake things up, consider 2008: Felipe Massa would indeed have been world champion had they been in place then. And Fernando Alonso would have snared the title from Sebastian Vettel at the final race of 2012, too. Yes, this new rule has the potential to have a big impact.
Both drivers' and constructors' points will be doubled in the final round of 2014, currently scheduled to run on November 23 in Abu Dhabi. And that's not the only change the FIA agreed yesterday, either. 2014 will also see a new five-second penalty option come into force, for transgressions more minor than a 10-second penalty would warrant.
Massa's 'what might have been' misery compounded
The idea of a cost cap has been agreed, to be imposed from 2015 (we've heard this before though, so don't hold your breath). They've also agreed to a three-day Pirelli tyre test in Bahrain on December 17-19, to which all teams were invited and six teams will attend: Red Bull Racing, Mercedes, Ferrari, McLaren, Force India and Toro Rosso.
And perhaps answering a question nobody's asked, the FIA has also cleared an initiative to award drivers permanent numbers throughout their Formula One career, rather than swapping them as currently happens. Number 1 would be reserved for the World Champion: numbers 2-99 would be up for grabs.
The idea seems to be inspired by Rossi's number 46 in MotoGP, with FIA suits perhaps mindful of Villeneuve's number 27 or Mansell's 'red 5'. Whether it will work is another matter, but it's at least uncontroversial and thus worth a go.
Will these two continue to dominate F1 2014?
The double points is another matter entirely. The FIA President has already signed the mandate: it will happen. That it's been revealed so well ahead of the season is no accident. It's going to take race fans the best part of a year to get their head around this impure new gimmick...
PHers are already talking about this - join the conversation here.
As for the rest of the 2014 F1 season, here's a reminder of things we know about F1 in 2014 to date...
1.6-litre V6 turbo
Engine manufacturers:
Cosworth OUT (Marussia switch to Ferrari), Williams swap Renault for Mercedes, Toro Rosso swap Ferrari for Renault
Engine longevity:
Drivers can only use FIVE engines per season instead of today's EIGHT engines. Drivers who use a sixth engine will start from the pit lane; the changing of individual parts, such as turbochargers, sees a 10-place grid penalty imposed
Penalty points:
New penalty system imposed - drivers who accumulate 12 points will serve a one-race ban
Aero:
Front wing 75mm narrower, front chassis height 75mm lower, maximum nose tip height 185mm (550mm today!), no exhaust blowing due to centre-exit exhaust, rear wing 20mm lower and no lower rear wing element at all - estimated 30-40 per cent less downforce overall
Energy recovery:
KERS out: ERS in (twice the power - 160hp - for 33 seconds)
Red Bull: Mark Webber OUT, Daniel Ricciardo IN
Ferrari: Felipe Massa OUT, Kimi Raikkonen IN
McLaren: Sergio Perez OUT, Kevin Magnussen IN
Lotus: Kimi Raikkonen OUT, Pastor Maldonado IN
Williams: Pastor Maldonado OUT, Felipe Massa IN
Toro Rosso: Daniel Ricciardo OUT, Daniil Kvyat IN
Force India: Nico Hulkenberg IN
Sauber: Sergey Sirotkin IN
Races:
Korea and India OUT, Russia and Austria IN
Photos: LATPhoto, GEPA pictures GmbH, Mercedes, Ferrari, Force India