Double points should be dropped for 2015, says Wolff

The 'deciding factor'

The spectre of double points has been hanging over the Hamilton/Rosberg battle all season, and after Brazil it is clear that the unpopular new rule could make the difference in the German's favour.

Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff insisted at Interlagos that whatever happens the rules have been the same for everyone, but made it clear that he wants to see a change for next year. He's more concerned that a technical issue for Lewis could be the deciding factor.

“You could say that the rules are the rules, and we know what the rules are,” said Wolff. “If you lose because you haven't got enough points it goes into the history books that you either won it or lost it. And that's a matter of fact. Then if you imagine a scenario that the championship is being turned by a DNF for example, a technical issue, that would obviously put a big shadow over the championship.

Nobody likes the double points. We are going to discuss that next time around. I don't think Bernie likes it.

Toto Wolff

“I would very much hope for a straight fight between the two of them at the last race, and they will give it all, and hopefully the double points will not make a difference.”

Most points - the World Champion

Asked if Rosberg would be a worthy champion even if it does turn on double points he said: “Whoever has most points at the end of the season is the World Champion. You have to be as pragmatic, even though some of us, if it really comes down to that situation, might have a different feeling about it, it's what it is, and as I said before, whoever wins the championship is going to have his name in the record books. And that's it.”

Wolff keen to see the double points rule abandoned for 2015.

“Nobody likes the double points. We are going to discuss that next time around. I don't think Bernie likes it. So it's probably something that we should be getting rid of for next season.”

En element of luck

Meanwhile RBR boss Christian Horner was non-committal on the subject: “I think you've got to wait until after the next race. I think it's great that the championship is going down to the wire. It becomes an element of luck involved in what the outcome is at that last race. Difficult to think that Lewis has won 10 races to Nico's five, and it's all so tight.”