The FIA's World Motor Sport Council has confirmed that double points will be scrapped for the 2015 season.

At the final meeting of 2014 in Qatar, the WMSC decided that the deeply unpopular regulation will not be implemented next year, meaning that the season-finale will feature the normal points system.

The rule was introduced for this year following Sebastian Vettel's early title victory in 2013, but ultimately double points did not prolong the championship battle nor did it influence the outcome of the final standings at the front of the field.

The WMSC also confirmed that standing restarts, an idea voted in by the F1 Commission, will not be implemented into the 2015 regulations.

The intention was for drivers to line-up on the grid for a standing start following Safety Car periods, apart from during the opening two laps or final five laps of a race.

But after concerns over safety - as well as criticism from fans - the concept has been abandoned.

One addition to the regulations is the introduction of the Virtual Safety Car, which will restrict the drivers to a specific speed limit through sectors of a lap where the deployment of the Safety Car is not required.

The system was trialled during free practice sessions at the end of 2014 and the move comes in reaction to Jules Bianchi's horrific crash at the Japanese Grand Prix.

Other tweaks mean that cars will line up in the pit lane, rather than on the starting grid, if a race is suspended.

Stewards will also have the ability to impose 10 second time penalties on drivers for incidents in races, along with the current five second time penalties.

The 10 second stop and go penalties for an unsafe release have been retained, but other sanctions can now be imposed upon drivers who knowingly drive the car after it is released in an unsafe manner.

In a move which will please some following complaints over restarts taking too long, the race director no longer has to wait for lapped cars to line up at the back of the pack.

The minimum weight, which was originally pegged at 701kg, has been increased to 702kg.