These Weird Rule Changes Prove The FIA Can't Stop Fiddling With F1

The FIA has announced several unusual changes to the Formula 1 regulations after a meeting of the Strategy Group and F1 Commission in Paris.

Top of the list is the introduction of permanent numbers. Since 1996 numbers have been allocated by the finishing position of a driver's team in the previous year's constructors' championship. However, for the 2014 season each driver will be asked to choose a number between two and 99.

They will then carry the chosen number for the remainder of their career in the sport. Number 1 is reserved for the champion, although he doesn't have to use it. The practice is commonplace in motorbike racing; Valentino Rossi with his number 46 being a well-known example.

But what happens if two or more drivers want the same number? Simple. The driver who finished highest in the previous year's championship will get priority. It's a big decision, and some drivers are already asking fans for suggestions:

So been thinking about racing number for my F1 career. I heard BO77AS already, any other ideas?! — Valtteri Bottas (@ValtteriBottas) December 10, 2013

It's a beautiful thing F1 drivers will have freedom to choose what number they want to race from next year. For now I'll keep mine quiet ???? — Daniel Ricciardo (@danielricciardo) December 10, 2013

Trying to find which number I could race in the future...any suggestion welcome ???? . Few ideas but still thinking about it... #f1 #number— Romain Grosjean (@RGrosjean) December 10, 2013

Another unusual rule change that has been approved for next season will be the awarding of double points for the final race of the year. For example, the winner of the 2014 season finale in Abu Dhabi will bag 50 points, instead of the usual 25. The FIA said it has done this to "maximise focus on the championship until the end of the campaign".

If the rule was already in place, Lewis Hamilton wouldn't be a Formula 1 champion and Sebastian Vettel would have lost his third title to Fernando Alonso in 2012. It hasn't gone down well with everyone. Vettel labelled the double points rule "absurd", while Martin Brundle has branded it an "answer to a question nobody was asking".

Elsewhere, a new five-second penalty has been agreed to but will be discussed further with the F1 teams before being introduced next year. Before the 2014 season arrives, six teams will take part in a Pirelli tyre test in Bahrain from 17-19 December. This was also approved by the FIA during Monday's meeting.