Sebastian Vettel brands double points in the final race of the season as "absurd"

Sebastian Vettel has branded the decision to award double points in the final race of the season as "absurd".

Becoming the first driver to speak out against the proposed regulation changes, the World Champion has scorned the FIA's announcement that the winning driver in the season-ending Abu Dhabi - already branded 'Abu Double' by cynics - Grand Prix will win 50 points in an apparent attempt to prolong the World Championship fight following Vettel's ultra-swift capture of this year's title.

"This is absurd and punishes those who have worked hard for a whole season," Vettel told Germany's Bild newspaper.

"You can hardly imagine that on the last match of the Bundesliga season, (soccer) matches are suddenly worth twice as many points. I value the old traditions in Formula One and don't understand this rule.

There have been proposed changes to F1 with double points on offer in both the for the final race of the season

"Drivers, fans and experts are horrified."

Vettel's comments should not be viewed as a driver worried about losing his domination of the sport as it is worth considering that only three times in the last 20 years would the identity of Formula 1's World Champion have changed had the double-points plan been implemented in the past.

While critics of the new points-scoring scheme have warned that the change will reduce the value of the remaining eighteen races on the calendar, it has been claimed by Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko that the original intention of the F1 Strategy Group and the Formula One Commission was to award double points at the preceding grands prix in Russia, the United States and Brazil,

"At first it was planned to be awarded double points for the last four races," Marko disclosed.

Meanwhile, with Monday's bombshell announcement from the FIA also including confirmation that they would be asked to choose a permanent number for the duration of their careers in F1, a clutch of drivers have taken to Twitter seeking recommendations from their followers.

"Trying to find which number I could race in the future...any suggestion welcome. Few ideas but still thinking about it," mused Romain Grosjean, while Daniil Kvyat told his followers: "Have been thinking all night long about my next years number .. #driversproblems"

There will, though, be no such problems for Vettel following the clarification that the World Champion will be allowed to retain the coveted 'number one' badge.