MOTOR SPORT FORMULA ONE CHAMPIONSHIP: FORMULA ONE'S governing body yesterday adopted Bernie Ecclestone's proposal that this year's world championship should go to the driver who wins the most races in a season.

The current system awarding 10 points for a win and a sliding scale of points for the minor places – under which Lewis Hamilton became world champion last year – will now be used to determine the title in the event of two drivers winning the same number of races.

Had such a system been in place last year, Felipe Massa would have secured the title as he won six races compared with Hamilton’s five.

Overall, the world champion would have been altered on 12 occasions if the new proposal had been around since the first championship in 1950. Most notably, Stirling Moss would have been Britain’s first world champion in 1958 with four wins rather than Mike Hawthorn, who scored only a single victory and a succession of consistent points finishes.

Nigel Mansell would have won three titles instead of just one. Conversely, John Surtees would not hold his place in history as the only man to win world titles on two and four wheels.

The FIA World Motor Sport Council 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.

More controversially, the FIA has initiated what some fear will develop into a “two-tier” F1 with teams who are willing to operate within a €32 million budget cap from the start of 2010 being allowed more technical freedom than those of their competitors who wish to continue open-ended expenditure.

Luca di Montezemolo, the president of Fota, said the teams unanimously disapproved of the FIA initiative.

“With regards to the decisions taken today by the World Council, Fota would like to express its disappointment and concern at the fact that these have been taken in a unilateral manner,” he said.

“The framework of the regulations runs the risk of turning on its head the very essence of Formula One and the principles that make it one of the most popular and appealing sports”

Guardian Service

World Title Changes

The World title would have changed hands in:

1958Stirling Moss instead of Mike Hawthorn

1964Jim Clark instead of John Surtees

1967Jim Clark instead of Denny Hulme

1977Mario Andretti instead of Niki Lauda

1979Alan Jones instead of Jody Scheckter

1982Didier Pironi instead of Keke Rosberg

1983Alain Prost instead of Nelson Piquet

1984Alain Prost instead of Niki Lauda

1986Nigel Mansell instead of Alain Prost

1987Nigel Mansell instead of Nelson Piquet

1989 Ayrton Senna instead of Alain Prost

2008Felipe Massa instead of Lewis Hamilton

Brabham, under the ownership of Bernie Ecclestone who proposed the race-win scenario, would have won no drivers’ championships.