Team orders authorized in major F1 rules change

Starting next season, team orders will  be authorized on the Formula One World Championship. The rule that punished orders within a team with a ban has been dropped following FIA’s World Motor Sport Council meeting. This is one of the major rule changes that will be applied in the 2011 season. New engine regulations have also received the green light for 2013.

The team orders issue has been intensively discussed after last season’s German Grand Prix, where Ferrari asked Felipe Massa to let pass Fernando Alonso, who went on to win the race.

After major discussion over the matter, the governing body has now confirmed that the "article forbidding team orders (39.1)” has been deleted. Nevertheless FIA has warned the teams that there will still be a rule that allows the governing body to punish teams if it considers that their actions disrepute the sport.

The FIA also revealed on Friday that all team radio communications will be made available to broadcasters from the 2012 season.

Major car changes and new engine regulations

Over the next two years several rule changes will take place on the Formula One. FIA’s World Motor Sport Council has approved major car changes and new engine regulations, amendments that were proposed by the F1 Commission, following discussion among teams.

In terms of car changes, the idea of a moveable rear wing that will be able to help overtaking will be implemented in the 2011 season. Teams will now focus on the development of concepts in order to get them working properly before the start of the season.

The bodywork regulations have also been tightened by FIA as a way to prevent another controversy like the one caused by allegations that Red Bull Racing and Ferrari were illegally flexing their front wings.

Rules relating to the 'reference plane' are planed to become stricter and there will also be better bodywork deflection tests at the front of this area of the car.

Engines will also suffer major modifications, but in this case they will only come into place in 2013. The current 2.4-litre V8 engines will be replaced by four cylinder 1.6-litre direct-injection engines. The new engines will be limited to 12,000rpm in order to reduce fuel consumption by around 35%, but still the use of energy recovery systems should keep power at its current level.

From 2013 drivers will also be limited to just five engines per season, a number that will be reduced to four in the 2014 season.

Besides the modifications in the cars and engines, FIA has also announced some revisions to driving and driver conduct, a limit on the width of the fast lane in the pits, plus the ability for the Race Director to shut the pit lane during a race for safety reasons. Drivers will also be instructed on circumstances when they can overtake the safety car.

Finally the gearboxes will now have to feature in five consecutive races rather than four and the intermediate tyres will make their return to F1 on the 2011 season.