Team order rule in F1 scrapped by FIA (Roundup)

Dec 10, 2010, 15:41 GMT

Paris - A controversial team order rule in Formula One has been scrapped again from next season onwards, the ruling body FIA said on Friday.

FIA said in a statement that its World Motor Sport Council decided at meetings in Monte Carlo to do away with the rule after eight years but that 'teams will be reminded that any actions liable to bring the sport into disrepute' can be sanctioned.

The team order was introduced after Ferrari told Rubens Barrichello at a 2002 race to let Michael Schumacher pass.

A similar incident occurred this year in thinly disguised fashion when Felipe Massa was told that Ferrari team-mate Fernando Alonso was faster and Massa was passed for victory. Ferrari were fined 100,000 dollars over the incident.

The team order rule was not popular because many in the sport argued the drivers are not only driving for the title but are part of their respective teams.

This could have been highlighted at the 2010 season finale if Sebastian Vettel had led the race in Abu Dhabi from Red Bull team- mate Mark Webber and Alonso. In this scenario Alonso would have won the title while Webber would have triumphed if he had passed Vettel.

Red Bull said it would not issue a team order but said its drivers would know what to do in certain scenarios. Vettel eventually lifted the trophy as Alonso and Webber finished far off the pace.

The FIA Motor Sport Council also announced that intermediate tyres will be reintroduced in 2011, gearboxes must last five instead of four races and safety car phase rules have been updated.

From 2013 onwards, the FIA said, F1 cars must have a 1.6 litre engine with four cylinders and that fuel consumption must at the same time be reduced by 35 per cent. Drivers will have five engines available for the 2013 season but only four in the following years.

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