Ecclestone pushing for ’double points’ in three races

Bernie Ecclestone has written a letter to F1’s eleven teams, arguing that the controversial new ’double points’ rule should be extended to the final three races of the season.

Three races was always the F1 chief executive’s plan, but many team bosses refused to agree and so just installing the Abu Dhabi finale as the double points venue was the compromise outcome.

But Ecclestone, 83, is trying again to push his original plan through, appealing directly in writing to the F1 teams because a change at such a late date would require total unanimity up and down pitlane.

According to Germany’s Auto Motor und Sport, the letter seeks approval for ’double points’ to be awarded not just in Abu Dhabi next year, but also Austin and Brazil.

But the vote even of Ecclestone’s friend and ally Christian Horner, the Red Bull team boss, is unlikely.

He thinks double points at three races next year would turn the title race "pretty much into a lottery".

Not only that, the small teams are reportedly also sceptical, as the allocation of double points will mean expensive car development late in the season will ramp up even more than usual.

And the fact that FIA entry fees for the following season are decided on the basis of points scored is reportedly also a turn-off for teams, as the ’double points’ scheme would simply ramp up already escalated costs.

World champion Sebastian Vettel on Tuesday slammed double points as "nonsense".

"It would be like in football if they changed the rules by saying that a goal scored in the last five minutes counted double," he told F1’s official website.

"Nobody would think of something bizarre like that."