2014 is going to bring a lot of changes for F1. New engines and new cars are the obvious ones, but the FIA has also launched new additions for the rules.
Among them, one in particular is standing out: double points for Drivers and Constructors Championships on the last race in Abu Dhabi.
Double drivers’ and constructors’ points will be awarded at the final race of the Formula One season – Abu Dhabi for 2014 – in order to maximise focus on the championship until the end of the campaign
If you ask me, this looks like a sign of desperation.
To be honest, in the recent years F1 has lost some of his appeal to me. It’s still a great sport and I still enjoy watching races a lot, but you can easily feel that the show has dial-down quite a lot.
It’s not just the Red Bull dominance, all the drivers have been severely limited by the tyres and without having to stop for fuel anymore, the strategy has been leveled across the teams. You can now estimate with almost 100% accuracy when the teams are going to do their pit-stops. There’s no more element of surprise and there’s no more room for “crazy” ideas that can make or brake a race.
Why a sign of desperation then? Well, doubling the points at the last race feels like a direct response to this year’s Vettel victory. It also reminds of the rule changes applied to stop the Ferrari dominance a few years back.
A change that I like is the proposed cap on teams’ spending for 2015 onward. On one side by limiting the amount of money that can be used there will be a comprehensible reduction in R&D, obliging teams to more wisely spread the budget around; but on the other side I think the aim of this new rule will be to reduce the gap between the first and the second half of the grid.
Right now many F1 races are really divided in two: division one with the big names fighting for a chance of winning the title; division two where all the younger drivers currently are, trying to shine but ending up fighting for the 13th place.
In my opinion, leveling up these differences would be key to really turning tables and make everybody really competitive again. It wasn’t just Vettel running away from lap 1; even in the back rows you could rarely see someone overtaking (except when they use DRS or Kers).
I’m really looking forward to the new season, I have hopes that it’s going to be a great competition once again!