Formula One ditches double points finale

Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton of Britain takes the checkered flag to win Abu Dhab Formula one at the Yas Marina racetrack in Abu Dhabi. The final race of the season will no longer be worth double points from the 2015 season. Photo / AP

Formula One is scrapping the controversial awarding of double points to the winner of the final race of the season - but it is introducing a virtual safety car in the wake of Jules Bianchi's crash for 2015 which could see a record 21 races.

The decisions - which also include rescinding standing restarts, a 10 second penalty for minor infringements in a race, and revised power unit penalties - were made by the World Motor Sport Council of the ruling body FIA at a meeting on Wednesday in Doha.

The FIA decision on double points follows an agreement last week of the sport's Strategy Group and F1 Commission.

Double points for the last 2014 race was initiated by F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone to make the sport more interesting until the end of the season after Sebastian Vettel ran away with the title in 2011 and 2013.

It was unpopular with fans and teams but did not affect the 2014 title race in which Lewis Hamilton beat Mercedes teammate Nico Rosberg for a second career title last month - although Rosberg could have benefited from it.

The FIA revised the provisional calendar by making a return of the South Korean race possible after a one-year absence, pending final approval for the May 3 date.

The Mexican Grand Prix, not held since 1992, will return as the third-last season race on November 1.

The season starts on March 15 in Australia and runs until the November 29 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

If South Korea also returns, the 2015 campaign will have one more race than 2012 which consisted of 20 grands prix.

As expected, FIA rescinded a standing restart after a safety car phase over safety concerns from teams.

The virtual safety car was approved after tests following Bianchi's accident at a wet race in Japan when his car of now defunct Marussia crashed into a recovery vehicle, deployed to lift away the Sauber of Adrian Sutil, during a double yellow flag stage.

"It will normally be used when double waved yellow flags are needed on any section of track and competitors or officials may be in danger, but the circumstances are not such as to warrant use of the safety car itself," the FIA said.

-AAP