UPDATE: "Winner Takes All" system scrapped for 2009

Formula One will use a medals system to decide the world champion from the 2009 season onwards, the FIA announced on Tuesday.

The FIA said it had rejected a proposal by FOTA to change the current system, and Formula 1 will instead use the Olympic-like medals system proposed by Bernie Ecclestone last year.

The world champion will be the driver who wins the most races in a season.

"The WMSC accepted the proposal from Formula One Management to award the drivers' championship to the driver who has won the most races during the season," said the FIA in a statement.

"If two or more drivers finish the season with the same number of wins, the title will be awarded to the driver with the most points, the allocation of points being based on the current 10, 8, 6 etc. system.

"The rest of the standings, from second to last place, will be decided by the current points system. There is no provision to award medals for first, second or third place. The Constructors' Championship is unaffected.

"The WMSC rejected the alternative proposal from the Formula One Teams' Association to change the points awarded to drivers finishing in first, second and third place to 12, 9 and 7 points respectively. "

AUTOSPORT

YOU WHAT :|Redders1989

exactly my reaction 

Is this serious or a joke thread?

This will be interesting to see, whilst I agree a driver who wins the most races should be champion, this will damage Formula 1 with teams like BMW and Toyota being further down the field due to their more mid points position finishes at a consistent rate.

I just spotted this on MSN :? This is a crazy idea and only seems to promote reckless actions for a few races rather than being decent for the entire season. With the current mass of rules changes all it will take is for one team to have a really good start to the season and by the time we get a third of the way through the season could all but have the championship wrapped up I think Bernie is still bitter that Massa didn't get the driver's title last year, hence the push for this system. Given how previous seasons have panned out this will also reduce the drivers championship to a two horse race between McLaren and Ferrari - no other team could compete for first place on a reliable basis for the whole season. You only have to look at the Beijing Olympics to see people unhappy with the medal system. Georgia finished 1 place ahead of Cuba in the official standings. Georgia won 6 medals - 3 Gold, 3 Bronze. Cuba won 24 medals - 2 Gold, 11 Silver, 11 Bronze. Cuba clearly did better at the olympics, but because a gold is ranked infinitley higher than silver they were placed behind Georgia. This system will only last in F1 until a similar result takes place and a much more consistent driver loses the championship because of a lack of wins.Avenger1324

Exactly. Driver X could go on a tear and win the first 4,5 races of the season. And then DNF the rest of the races and be champion. Imagine the outrage.

I mean back in 2003 they changed the rules to reward consistancy, to help stop Schumacher and Ferrari. Now it seems they've went the complete 180 and only wins matter. It makes no sense to me, we've had AMAZING championships these past two years and they STILL mess with the rules to somehow make it "better".

I feel bad for teams that have a season like BMW did in 2008. They did a fantastic job in 08 but in now in these new rules all their podiums aren't gonna stand for much.

I thought at the earliest we'd see this implemented in 2010, because this is quite the rule change. Way to think this through the FIA!

Okay.  Just got back from changing my pants...

Avenger:  Your Georgia/Cuba argument bears no weight.  Georgia had 35 participants to Cuba's 149.  Per athlete Georgia had .08 gold medals, Cuba had .01 golds per athlete.  Georgia had .17 medals per athlete to Cuba's .16 medals.  Clearly, Georgia had the better team.  Cuba jast had more people to score medals.

The argument fails at the beginning, in comparision to F1, as each driver is unto himself and each nation is a collective of people. 

I'm not saying this is right, I like 12-9-7 myself.  But rules need to change as the sport evolves.  In the first years of F1, the points were counted for the best results of the driver, eg. 5 of the first 7 races counted, 5 of the last 7.  That was due to the unreliable nature of the machines.  As they started to finish each race, droping the worst became unnecessary.  10-6-4 rewarded wins but few teams scored points and many teams were short lived.  10-8-6 rewarded consistancy so drivers just settled for points.  The "we had a solid day and picked up solid points" mantra era.  This rewards win.  Plain and simple.  You don't win, you can't win, sorry.  No more settling for points.  But constructors are still represented and may paint a very different picture from the driver's side of the championship.

Redders:  No need to worry, Button's gonna win all the races anyways. 

FOTA "CONCERNED" ABOUT FIA DECISIONS

The Formula One Teams' Association (FOTA) has expressed its 'concern' about the FIA's decision to impose a radical rules shake up on the sport.

The FIA announced on Tuesday that it was rejecting a FOTA proposal to revise the points structure in F1, and instead was to introduce a system whereby the world title would be handed to the driver with the most wins.

Furthermore, the FIA has announced plans for a voluntary budget cap to be introduced - offering teams that sign up to limit their budget to £30 million per season the chance to be as competitive as those with unlimited spending power.

The plans have not gone down well with FOTA, which felt in recent weeks that it had made much headway with plans to reduce budgets by 50% for 2010 through a series of cost-cutting measures.

A statement from FOTA chairman Luca di Montezemolo said: "With regard to the decisions taken today by the FIA World Council, FOTA would like to express its disappointment and concern at the fact that these have been taken in a unilateral manner.

"The framework of the regulations as defined by the FIA, to be applicable as from 2010, runs the risk of turning on its head the very essence of Formula 1 and the principles that make it one of the most popular and appealing sports.

"Given the timeframe and the way in which these modifications were decided upon, we feel it is necessary to study closely the new situation and to do everything, especially in these difficult times, to maintain a stable framework for the regulations without continuous upheaval, that can be perplexing and confusing for car manufacturers, teams, the public and sponsors."

SOURCE: Autosport

As in the way Kipi19 usually deals with outragous situations, I shall put it down to one thing for you all

*uncontrollable swearing and abuse hurled towards the FIA and Bernie Ecclestone*

:) Thank you for your time.

As in the way Kipi19 usually deals with outragous situations, I shall put it down to one thing for you all

*uncontrollable swearing and abuse hurled towards the FIA and Bernie Ecclestone*

:) Thank you for your time.

kipi19

:lol: I think I might give this a go :P

... :evil:

That feels pretty good actually, I strongly recommend all F1 fans to do the same :P

ECCLESTONE CERTAIN NEW SYSTEM WILL WORK

Bernie Ecclestone is confident that awarding will the world championship to the driver with most wins will improve the racing in Formula 1 more than changes to car or circuit design would.

Yesterday the FIA World Motor Sport Council agreed the radical change to the system, which had been proposed by Ecclestone's Formula One Management organisation as an alternative to the F1 supremo's original suggestion of medals for the top three in each race. The Formula One Teams' Association's idea for a 12-9-7-5-4-3-2-1 points system was rejected.

Ecclestone has welcomed the FIA's decision and expects it to make a big difference to the racing at the front of the field.

"It's a modification of my idea of medals, which I wanted to go down to bronze in third place, but this is a good start," he told BBC Radio 5 Live.

"The idea is to get people racing. Somebody that's second has got to try and win rather than thinking that if he happens to win he'll only get two (more) points - not a big motivation to try and get past someone.

"For what reason would they want to get past? If somebody's in the lead and you're in second, why are you going to want to take risks to get past for two (more) points?"

He is adamant that the scoring system was the main reason for the lack of action in lead battles in recent years.

"There are all these complaints that the cars are wrong and the circuits are wrong, but in the end I think the guys that are actually driving the cars have a lot to do with it," said Ecclestone. "If you were first and I was second, and I thought it was a risk to overtake you, I wouldn't bother."

Had the 'winner takes all' system been in place in 2008, Felipe Massa would have won the championship rather than Lewis Hamilton. But Ecclestone thinks Hamilton would have pushed harder for victories had the new method applied.

"On a couple of occasions when he could've and should've overtaken, he didn't," Ecclestone said.

He thinks the change will get a positive reception from drivers.

"Really and truly the guys that know they're going to win are quite happy, and the ones that aren't going to win don't care," said Ecclestone.

"It was unanimously agreed by the world council, it went through nicely, and we're going to leave all the points for the other championships as they are at the moment."

SOURCE: Autosport

BUTTON: NEW SYSTEM WILL CONFUSE FANS

Jenson Button thinks the new Formula 1 scoring system has the potential to confuse the public, but accepts the reasoning behind it.

From 2009 the driver with the most race victories will be crowned champion, with the traditional points system only used to decide tie-breaks and lesser placings.

Button is concerned that it will be difficult to explain the new method to casual fans - and that it could lead to titles being decided earlier.

"I think the public will struggle to understand why a driver with 60 points can become champion instead of the one who has 100," he told Gazzetta dello Sport.

"I understand the logic behind it and I find it interesting.

"For sure it's an incentive to always go for the win, but it seems risky too - after nine races, we could find ourselves with a driver that has already won the title and can stand still eating ice cream, while the guy in second in the standings is just 18 points behind."

Bernie Ecclestone, whose Formula One Management organisation came up with the new system, said earlier today that he felt Button could benefit from it given Brawn GP's impressive testing pace.

"If Brawn has got it right, then there is a chance that for the first three races we could maybe see Jenson winning," said Ecclestone.

"Now that it is not points that decides the championship, if he has three races in his pocket then it is not bad - although I suppose in the end you have to look at the old timers like [Fernando] Alonso, Kimi [Raikkonen], Felipe [Massa] and Mr [Lewis] Hamilton."

SOURCE: Autosport

I'll just enjoy the racing and worry about the new system if someone starts literally walking away with the championship. I keep imagining awful situations, but then realise how unlikely they are. Usually, someone who wins the most races, scores the most points. And usually, the win count remains close near the end of the season. But even if these were last year's rules, it would still have been the best championship for years. I'm not defending the new rules, just trying to show that they aren't quite as disasterous as they sounds.

It certainly gives a chance to drivers who might get better later in the season. If Ferrari dominate early on, the WDC could still be tense come the end of the season if say BMW suddenly challenge their pace after bad luck early in the season. I'm trying to be optimistic here; let's just take this season as it happens.

ALONSO HITS OUT AT FIA OVER RULE CHANGES

Two-time Formula 1 world champion Fernando Alonso has criticised the FIA's decision to change the rules right ahead of the start of the season.

The governing body announced on Tuesday that, from the season that starts in less than two weeks, the world championship title would go to the driver with the most wins instead of the driver with the most points.

The decision means that a driver with more points than their rivals could still lose the title if he wins less races than the rest.

Alonso believes the constant rules changing is not helping the sport, and he was critical of the FIA for not listening to the teams, the drivers, or the fans.

The Renault driver also admitted he was worried about the future of Formula 1, and is hoping some of the rules can still be changed in the near future.

"I don't understand the need to change the rules of the sport constantly. I think this kind of decisions can only confuse the fans," Alonso said in a statement on his personal website.

"Formula 1 has existed for over 50 years thanks to the teams, the sponsors, the drivers and, above all, the fans from all over the world, and none of them have been able to express their views in front of the FIA.

"I worry, not so much about the decisions that affect the season that's about to start, but, above all, those that affect the future of the competition in the coming years.

"I hope somehow these measures can be reconsidered in the short-term."

SOURCE: Autosport

..and he was critical of the FIA for not listening to the teams, the drivers, or the fans.

Redders1989

Pretty much sums up the FIA really.

EVEN THE GREAT ONE DISAPPROVES...

Seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher says he sees little sense in the new scoring system introduced by the FIA earlier this week.

The governing body announced that the world championship will go to the driver who scores the most wins, instead of the one with the most points scored.

The move has generally not been well received, and Schumacher has joined two-time champion Fernando Alonso in condemning the changes.

Schumacher believes the new method is not helping Formula 1, especially because of its late introduction, and the German admitted he was "astonished" by the rule.

"During the tests we had to fight with several topics as well but this is more than normal at this stage prior to the season," Schumacher wrote on his personal website.

"But you also have to say that KERS is a risk for all the teams using it, with this restricted testing possibilities. So there are, as always, certain question marks before the first races. But this is what makes the whole thing so attractive, isn't it?

"I doubt the same goes for the new rules given out on such a late moment prior to the season - something which to me is really, well, astonishing, as in all the years, when the majority wanted to have a rule change for a good reason, they always said that would not be possible in a short term or so late before a season.

"I cannot imagine those changes to help F1, especially regarding the new system to find the champion. I cannot see how it makes sense to eventually have a world champion who has less points than the driver coming in second, even if I also think it is a good move to try to strengthen the winner's position.

"In general we should also make sure that F1 remains the top series of motorsport, displaying its competition also on the highest technology level."

The former Ferrari driver reckons the Italian squad is in a strong position to fight for the title, but he believes the field is very close.

He also thinks the McLaren team is not looking strong at the moment.

"The last impressions were showing that we look pretty good and should be in the position to fight for the world championship titles," he added.

"The picture to me in the moment is that there are several teams able to be in the front, besides us there are Renault and Toyota, and BMW and Williams as well - on the other hand, after Barcelona you clearly have to say that Ross' team was outstanding.

"They were one second in front, and if they can take this into the season they are strong as well - even if probably the big teams will cut that advantage away with time. McLaren at the moment looks pretty bad."

SOURCE: Autosport

HERE COMES JESUS WITH HIS RESPONSE

World champion Lewis Hamilton has called on the FIA to start working with the teams to help improve Formula 1, after becoming the latest driver to criticise rule changes announced this week.

In the wake of the announcement about budget caps and the decision to award the world championship to the driver with the most wins rather than the most points, Hamilton has expressed his disappointment about what has happened.

It follows critical remarks that have been voiced by former champions Fernando Alonso and Michael Schumacher about the changes.

"I think it's a shame what's happening to Formula 1," said Hamilton on Friday. "It's hard to believe that these recent decisions will improve things for the trackside spectators and TV viewers, who should always be our number-one priority, but I guess we'll have to wait and see.

"Whatever the points system, I know that all Formula 1 drivers will always race our hearts out."

The FIA's shake-up of F1 rules went against proposals put forward by the Formula One Teams' Association (FOTA) following consultation with fans. Hamilton believes that the FIA's stance in rejecting FOTA's proposals is not good for the sport.

"For the first time in recent years we have the teams, drivers, sponsors and fans all working together for the good of our sport - now we just need the governing bodies to listen to us and help us," said Hamilton.

"Formula 1 is the pinnacle of motorsport and that's what we all love about it; we should all be working together to maintain that."

SOURCE: Autosport

ED: I'm sure Raikkonen also commented, but no one could understand a word he said.

GLOCK ADDS TO DISAPPROVAL

Toyota's Timo Glock is the next of former World Cha... oh, sorry. Anyway, he's not liking this either.

Asked if Glock wouldn't have received 5 briefcases full of cash if he couldn't help Lewis win the title in Brazil if the current scoring system was in place, Timo replied "I have no idea what you're on about," showing off his new "bling" shades.

The German even went as far as to accuse Bernie of ensuring Michael Schumacher would remain Germany's only World Champion.

"It's clear that he's scared of the talent me, Nick, Adrian, Sebastian and Nico... actually, scrap the last one, would've shown. We're the greatest drivers on the field who, now we have race-winning cars, will always finish second."

"Ecclestone can't stand anyone from Germany winning a World Title cleanly."

When asked about FIA's other rules introduced this week, Glock replied: "Whut? They said other stuff too?"

Timo Glock's teammate, Jarno Trulli, was unavailable for comment after becoming drunk off his own wine from his vineyard.

SOURCE: My Imagination

I was wondering what the heck is going on until I read the source lolmjk1

Same :lol:

FOTA CLAIM NEW SCORING SYSTEM "NOT VALID"

The Formula One Teams' Association has questioned the validity of the FIA's decision to impose a new points structure for this season.

The FIA announced on Tuesday that it would hand the world championship to the driver who scored the most wins in 2009. That decision was drawn criticism from several high profile figures, and FOTA now believes that the FIA is in fact not allowed to have made the change without the unanimous support of the teams.

In a statement issued on Friday, FOTA said that it hoped it could work together with the FIA for a new points structure to be put in place for 2010.

"Following the decision of the World Motorsport Council of the 17 March 2009 to change the way the drivers' championship is awarded, the Teams gathered and unanimously agreed to question the validity of this decision," said the statement.

"FOTA had made a proposal that was carefully based on the results of a Global Audience Survey, which allowed listening to preferences of the public, and all the Teams firmly believe that these indications should be properly taken into account.

"The amendment to the sporting regulations proposed by the World Motorsport Council was not performed in accordance with the procedure provided for by Appendix 5 of the Sporting Regulations and, as per the provisions of the article 199 of the FIA International Sporting Code, it is too late for FIA to impose a change for the 2009 season that has not obtained the unanimous agreement of all the competitors properly entered into the 2009 Formula 1 Championship.

"Since the change to the scoring system unanimously agreed by the Teams and proposed to FIA did not receive approval of the WMSC, no change can occur in 2009, and the Teams wish to reaffirm their willingness to collaborate with the FIA in order to jointly define a new point system for the 2010 season within a comprehensive set of measures aimed at further stimulating the attractiveness of the F1 Sport."

Appendix 5 of the F1 sporting regulations details how regulations can be changed in F1, while Article 199 of the International Sporting Code says that the FIA cannot make changes to the sporting regulations at this late stage without unanimous approval of the teams.

It says: "Changes to sporting rules and to all regulations other than those referred to in b) above are published at least 20 days prior to the opening date for entry applications for the championship concerned, but never later than 30 November each year.

"Such changes cannot come into effect before 1 January of the year following their publication, unless the FIA considers that the changes in question are likely to have a substantial impact on the technical design of the vehicle and/or the balance of performance between the cars, in which case they will come into effect no earlier than 1 January of the second year following their publication.

"d) Shorter notice periods...may be applied, provided that the unanimous agreement of all competitors properly entered for the championship or series concerned is obtained."

SOURCE: Autosport

Breaking News: New wins system has been officially postponed until 2010 by the FIA. Source: Sky News, BBC News

EDIT: Ok, things aren't as clear as the media suggest.. the FIA have said that if the teams do not agree to the system, it will be postponed. The FOTA seem pretty much unanimously against it, so it looks certain that it will be postponed.

The FIA Press Release

Goodness me... what has this sport come to?

I can't complain if they do postpone it, but it's getting ridiculous how people can't make up their minds now.

TRADITIONAL POINTS SCORING SYSTEM RETURNS

Formula 1 has axed plans for a new scoring system in 2009 just nine days before the start of the season.

The sport's governing body, FIA, announced earlier this week that the driver with the most wins would be crowned world champion.

But following a protest from F1 teams, FIA says it will defer the introduction of the new system until 2010.

The traditional points system will be used when the 2009 season begins on 29 March with the Australian Grand Prix.

A FIA spokesman told BBC Sport: "The new scoring system has been deferred until 2010, but I'm sure this will be reviewed throughout the course of the season as any new rule changes have to have teams approval before we proceed.

"We're slightly surprised that the teams have taken this long to come forward as we were under the impression that they were happy with the rule changes."

FIA had argued that the new scoring system would make racing more exciting by encouraging drivers to chase wins.

But several drivers, among them defending champion Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso, criticised the change.

That prompted Friday's statement from Formula One Teams' Association (Fota), which claimed the amendment was invalid because the proper protocol had not been observed.

"It is too late for FIA to impose a change for the 2009 season that has not obtained the unanimous agreement of all the competitors properly entered into the 2009 Formula 1 Championship," it read.

Fota had put forward its own scoring system, with the top three drivers earning 12, nine and seven, rather than 10, eight and six points respectively.

But that was unanimously rejected by the World Motorsport Council (WMSC).

Instead, the WMSC opted for a variant of an earlier idea proposed by F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone, who had suggested an Olympic-style medals system, with the champion the driver with most golds.

The WMSC approved the "race-wins" plan, albeit with no provision to award medals.

Fota, which insists its own plan has widespread backing, hopes common ground can be reached with the FIA.

"The teams wish to reaffirm their willingness to collaborate with the FIA in order to jointly define a new point system for the 2010 season within a comprehensive set of measures aimed at further stimulating the attractiveness of the F1 sport," added the statement.

Hamilton would have finished second behind Ferrari's Felipe Massa had the new system applied last year.

The McLaren driver clinched the title after overtaking on the final bend of the final lap of the final race.

SOURCE: BBC Sport

SO BERNIE LIED TO MOSLEY TO TRY AND GET THIS SYSTEM IN...

The FIA believed it was acting with the full support of the teams when it introduced a new 'winner-takes-all' points system ahead the new Formula 1 season, according to its president Max Mosley.

The sport's governing body announced yesterday that it was prepared to defer the new system until 2010 if the teams were unhappy about it.

This was in response to a statement from the Formula One Teams' Association (FOTA) on Friday questioning the validity of the rule change.

In an interview with The Daily Telegraph: "Bernie [Ecclestone, F1's commercial rights holder] told me that he talked to all the teams and everybody was happy.

"I was led to believe they all agreed. The World Council was under the impression that they had all agreed."

FOTA believes that the new rules, which will see the world championship handed to the driver with the most wins during the season, could not be changed at this late stage without unanimous support of the teams.

In light of complaints from leading figures, the FIA has now said that if the teams are unhappy then the introduction of the wins systems will be delayed until 2010.

SOURCE: Autosport

DOMENICALI: F1 POINTS ROW "EMBARRASSING"

Ferrari team principal Stefano Domenicali says the row over Formula 1's scoring system is embarrassing for the sport.

The FIA announced last week a new 'winner takes all' system, in which the driver with the most wins would be champion, even ahead of a driver with more points.

The governing body also rejected a system proposed by the Formula One Teams' Association that would have increased the points advantage between the winner and the second-placed driver.

But, after complaints from the teams and drivers, the governing body admitted it was ready to defer the introduction of the new system if the teams were unhappy about it, and it now seems likely that the one used last year will stay on for 2009.

Domenicali said the situation was not good for F1, and admitted going back to the usual points system was not ideal either.

"It seems embarrassing to me what has happened in the last few days," Domenicali told the Gazzetta dello Sport newspaper on Monday.

"We wanted a bigger difference between the winner and the others, instead it stays like 2008. Oh well."

The Ferrari boss also said he is expecting the governing body to clarify the regulations regarding the rear diffusers, as F1 could be heading for another row at the Australian GP this weekend.

FIA president Max Mosley admitted a protest could not be ruled out after Sunday's race due to the diffusers used by Williams, Toyota and Brawn GP.

Domenicali is hoping the issue is resolved before there are protests launched.

"We are convinced that certain interpretations that have been applied do not correspond to the nature of the rules," he added.

"We expect the federation to clarify as soon as possible its position over the diffuser. If that extractor is illegal then it must not be used, while if it is legal it's up to the other teams, including us, to try to adapt as soon as possible, because performance is found in that area of the car.

"There needs to be a great sense of responsibility on everyone's part. I hope this issue can be resolved beforehand."

SOURCE: Autosport

MASSA SUPPORTS FIA U-TURN

Ferrari's Felipe Massa has backed the decision to defer the controversial "winner takes all" points system in F1.

Governing body the FIA had planned to award the title to the driver with most wins but was forced to postpone the plan after protests from F1 teams.

Massa, who would have won the title last season under the system, said: "To assign the title to the driver who wins the most races is not correct.

"We've 17 races in the championship. It's not the Olympics 100m sprint."

Massa won six races last year, one more than champion Lewis Hamilton, but lost the title by one point under the existing system.

But he said: "I'm really not interested in the fact that with such a system I would have won the title last year. I'm interested in what's right for our sport."

He added it was more important to reward consistency over the course of the season.

"A driver might win more races, but might be inconsistent in his performance not gaining many points. In this case I think he wouldn't deserve the title."

Massa is in favour of the Formula One Teams Association (Fota) proposal which would see the top three drivers in each race get 12-9-7 points instead of the current 10-8-6.

This idea was unanimously rejected by the World Motor Sport Council who look likely to push ahead with plans to introduce the 'winner takes all' system in 2010.

"If the FIA didn't like this idea, it's better to remain with last year's system. But if the difference between first and second place was greater there would be a greater stimulus to fight for the win, but you would still have to be consistent throughout the season."

Red Bull driver Mark Webber agrees with the need to reward drivers who perform well across the whole season and points to BMW Sauber's Robert Kubica as a good example.

The Polish driver's consistently strong points-scoring performances meant he was still in the running for the title with two races to go despite his single victory.

Webber said: "Robert Kubica would have been nowhere near the championship last year, and do you want that?"

"Robert drove awesome last year and he would have been nowhere near the title hunt with these regulations."

He added: "You could have the world champion making more mistakes than the guy who is second.

"Whether consistency makes a better driver, or the driver who wins more races is better than the guy who is more competitive at more races throughout the season, is a matter of opinion."

SOURCE: BBC Sport

ALONSO: ECCLESTONE MUST HEED DRIVERS

Fernando Alonso has urged Bernie Ecclestone and the FIA not to 'go against the world' by implementing the 'winner takes all' points system in 2010.

The former world champion expressed his frustration at the controversial events of the past week, which saw the FIA World Motor Sport Council reject the Formula One Teams Association's proposal for a revised points system, and instead approve Ecclestone's suggestion that the title should go to the driver with the most wins regardless of his other scores.

This plan was then abandoned when FOTA queried the legality of making the change so late in the winter without the teams' consent, but Ecclestone is adamant that it will be in place for 2010.

However Alonso said Ecclestone's system did not have the backing of the drivers or fans, pointing out that FOTA made its suggestions on the basis of audience survey responses.

"FOTA gave a list of proposals, and they were very clear," he said. "For me they were very clever proposals as well, listening to the fans.

"We all more or less agree that the winner has to have something more than he has now, so maybe the 12 points, nine, seven was the better compromise, and in a better direction for the future than the wins (system).

"All the drivers and the teams think in that direction, so the FIA and Bernie cannot go against the world. If the fans, the drivers, the teams, they go in one direction, I think at the end they will follow that direction."

He believes the confusion over the points system in recent weeks has reflected badly on Formula 1.

"Unfortunately we had a bad last three or four weeks for our sport, with the change in rules and this attempt to change the world championship, to be decided by victories," Alonso said. "We are happy they regretted their decision and they went back to the normal points.

"But now there's this diffuser thing, and I think for the fans it is impossible to understand how Formula 1 can start a championship like this with so many doubts and so many changes. We will see when it's over, and then for race one we can talk about the sport, about having fun in the car, and hopefully the spectators will enjoy it."

The Spaniard sees no need for any radical change to the way the championship is decided, and said rules stability was now more important.

"Formula 1 has been for more than 50 years one of the greatest sports ever, followed by millions of spectators around the world," Alonso said.

"We saw the last three world championships decided in the last race, even last year decided in the last corner, so we cannot be too crazy about finding more show for the people. The show is enough. We just need to find some continuity."

SOURCE: Autosport