Doha: The controversial double points, used in the season-ending Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Formula One Grand Prix this season, has been scrapped, the sport’s governing body the FIA announced on Wednesday.
Also announced was South Korea’s provisional inclusion in a first ever 21-race calendar, featuring the anticipated return of Mexico.
The organisers of South Korea’s suspended F1 event, however, all but ruled out a return to the 2015 Grand Prix.
The inclusion of South Korea was a “unilateral” move by the FIA, an organising committee official told AFP. “We were given no prior notice. The FIA just announced it, although we’ve already conveyed our position about the difficulties of hosting a race next year,” said the official, who declined to be identified.
It was tentatively scheduled to slot in as the fifth race of the season on May 3.
Meanwhile, Formula One makes a comeback in Mexico for the first time since 1992.
The Mexico City race will be held at the back end of the year, on November 1, before Brazil and the season-closer in Abu Dhabi.
Abu Dhabi’s double points system which added a controversial twist to the championship showdown between Mercedes duo Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg has expectedly been done away with.
Hamilton won his second world title at Yas Marina last month as Marussia driver Jules Bianchi continued his battle from life threatening injuries from his crash in Suzuka.
Since the Frenchman’s horrific accident the FIA has been examining ways to improve safety.
One of these, the virtual safety car system trialled in the final three races, has been approved for next year.
This forces drivers to automatically slow down if ordered by the race stewards in the event of a section of the circuit being deemed dangerous due to an accident.
Bianchi was left in a coma when his car smashed into a trackside crane in the process of removing Adrian Sutil’s stranded Sauber.
The FIA’s 10-man panel reviewing safety following Bianchi’s accident also recommended applying yellow flag speed limits, the FIA reported.
