Abu Double - Double the points. Double the disappointment.

[Rob Dylan]

.
Looked around for a double-points thread but didn't see one, so I thought I'd start a new one.
So Yas Marina are starting to advertise, putting the first nail in the coffin.

On the good side, it looks like HRT are going to be there

[pher38]

I really hope the double points idea is done away with at the end of the season.

It's clearly a way for Bernie to make more money. Pay X amount more and your race will become a double points race, meaning it's more important than other GPs.

It devalues other tracks and means the most important race of the year is going to be at a 'soulless' circuit!

[Collieafc]

Its also grating as a freak result (eg another Maldonado Spain 2012) could single handedly make or break a season, and even whole teams and their finances further down the grid.

Or to put it another way, What if Sauber score only on the last race of the season and only pass Marussias score because its double points? How soul-destroying would that be for Marussia?

[Klon]

Blah, blah, blah. We get it. You guys don't like double points. I swear to HWNSNBM, if I hear one more person bitching about double points, I'm going postal. In the end, people completely overrate the effect double points have - if someone loses out at Abu Dhabi, it is because they haven't done enough before, not because they were screwed by a single race.

[watka]

Blah, blah, blah. We get it. You guys don't like double points. I swear to HWNSNBM, if I hear one more person bitching about double points, I'm going postal. In the end, people completely overrate the effect double points have - if someone loses out at Abu Dhabi, it is because they haven't done enough before, not because they were screwed by a single race.

Just because its unlikely to have an effect, it doesn't mean it's fair. However, we have all blown things out of proportion - case in point being that no one really goes on about the result of the 1988 championship, we're Prost scored more points than Senna but only the 11 best results counted which made Senna champion. I agree that we don't need a thread for double points because it will be full of sourness.

[Shizuka]

I don't like the colours of those cars on the poster, but I know, it's a homage to their flag.

[good_Ralf]

Imagine if the race in Abu Dhabi was red-flagged before 75% distance! We'd get half-double-points!

Personally the rule is bad, simply because it goes against tradition, as well as being staged at a track that has never produced a genuinely great race (except for 2012, but that was obviously a fluke), with the DRS zones poorly placed.

[wsrgo]

I'm now hearing that Mexico City could host the double points finale in 2015.

[Ataxia]

Personally the rule is bad, simply because it goes against tradition, as well as being staged at a track that has never produced a genuinely great race (except for 2012, but that was obviously a fluke), with the DRS zones poorly placed.

This is why I was FOR it in the first place; people see the end of the season coming and think "well, I'm a few points behind XXXX in the championship...probably won't catch him. Might as well sit in 11th...". Now, they've got the means to catch the driver in front, and might push a little harder. I mean, I think that was the intention.

Do I think it's a shite idea? It's ridiculously contrived, yes, but it's not the worst thing ever. Let's make the judgement after the race okay? (Even though I suspect it'll go two ways: if it doesn't work, it'll be an endless wave of "I TOLD YOU IT WAS shite!". If it DOES work, people will say "yeah, but it's just so artificial, and artificial is wrong all of a sudden".)

[dr-baker]

It's clearly a way for Bernie to make more money. Pay X amount more and your race will become a double points race, meaning it's more important than other GPs.

Not only Bernie but the FIA too. Team and driver entry fees increase for every point that they scored the previous season, so the more points available, the higher the entry fees that the FIA receives the following year!

[SgtPepper]

However, we have all blown things out of proportion - case in point being that no one really goes on about the result of the 1988 championship, we're Prost scored more points than Senna but only the 11 best results counted which made Senna champion.

I do!

(But I'll agree that it is frequently overlooked).

[pi314159]

A double points event is no problem, if the event is something special, like an increased length, or a double-header like IndyCar has them. The way it is now, it is artificially keeping the championship battle open. But if they made a special event at the final Grand Prix of the year, which actually deserves double points, that would be great. It keeps the championship battle open, and even if it doesn't, because a driver dominates, the fans still would have something to look forward to at the end of the year.

[DemocalypseNow]

All the double-points bashers will start backpedaling like mad when Ricciardo wins the title because of winning Abu Dhabi along with a Mercedes double DNF

[Meatwad]

What if Sauber score only on the last race of the season and only pass Marussias score because its double points? How soul-destroying would that be for Marussia?

That's unlikely. If one of the Saubers finished tenth in the last race, I think they would still lose to Marussia on countback (surely a 9th place is better than a 10th place with double points). If they took a ninth place, Sauber would probably win on countback even without double points (they already have two 11th places). In brief, either Sauber or Marussia would most likely have to score at least one additional point for the double points to have an effect on their championship position.

[WeirdKerr]

freak results less likely on a circuit with no rain expected for 1000 years... lol

[AxelP800]

For once the race poster looks neat

[dr-baker]

For once the race poster looks neate

As neate as Andy Neate?

[AxelP800]

For once the race poster looks neate

As neate as Andy Neate?

I mean neat

[dr-baker]

For once the race poster looks neate

As neate as Andy Neate?

I mean neat

I knew, I was only trying to tease. / (delete as applicable)

[Yannick]

I really hope the double points idea is done away with at the end of the season.

Well, who doesn't? It's completely unnecessary.

[CoopsII]

I really hope the double points idea is done away with at the end of the season.

Well, who doesn't? It's completely unnecessary.

And yet I worry that if that final race is deemed as success in terms of general popularity it may result in it being a more regular feature. Our best hope may have been a Merc driver running away with it thus making double points irrelevant.

[FullMetalJack]

I really hope the double points idea is done away with at the end of the season.

Well, who doesn't? It's completely unnecessary.

And yet I worry that if that final race is deemed as success in terms of general popularity it may result in it being a more regular feature. Our best hope may have been a Merc driver running away with it thus making double points irrelevant.

Yeah, *INSERTMERCDRIVERLEADINGTHECHAMPIONSHIPHERE*WINSLOL may be a blessing in disguise.

[CoopsII]

Yeah, *INSERTMERCDRIVERLEADINGTHECHAMPIONSHIPHERE*WINSLOL may be a blessing in disguise.

Hah! Yup, be careful what you wish for....

[Waris]

As if there were any chance of either of the Mercedes drivers being within 50 points of anyone else come Abu Dhabi.

[andrew2209]

The car on the poster looks out of proportion

[LionZoo]

The car on the poster looks out of proportion

And he doesn't appear to be taking the right line.

[AndreaModa]

The car on the poster looks out of proportion

Everything is in the UAE (and all of the Gulf states for that matter) - they're trying to make up for something they don't have.

That's somewhat tongue-in-cheek but in reality it's partly true sadly.

[RonDenisDeletraz]

The car on the poster looks out of proportion

Everything is in the UAE (and all of the Gulf states for that matter) - they're trying to make up for something they don't have.

That's somewhat tongue-in-cheek but in reality it's partly true sadly.

Alcohol?