It's an attempt to heighten interest in the World Championship.
From the beeb..If the new system had been in place for the last two decades, three world titles would have been won by a driver other than that year's eventual world champion.
In 2012, Fernando Alonso would have beaten Sebastian Vettel; in 2008, Felipe Massa would have denied Lewis Hamilton; and in 2003 Kimi Raikkonen would have edged out Michael Schumacher.