Team orders rule under review as Ferrari escape further rap
FORMULA ONE’S ban on team orders is to be reviewed at the end of the season after motor racing chiefs decided not to impose further sanctions on Ferrari for breaching regulations at the German Grand Prix.
The Italian team were fined $100,000 (£65,100) for appearing to use a coded message to inform Felipe Massa to allow team-mate Fernando Alonso pass and win at Hockenheim.
Members of the World Motor Sport Council met in Paris to discuss the matter yesterday but, on further analysis, will now ask F1’s Sporting Working Group to look into the rule.
A full explanation of the decision will be released by the FIA later today.
The sport’s governing body, meanwhile, have also announced they are to extend the F1 schedule to 20 races next season with the Indian Grand Prix making its debut.
The Indian round, at a brand new circuit being built near New Delhi, is due to be the 18th round of the championship and will take place on 30 October.
The season starts in Bahrain on 13 March and ends in Brazil on 27 November with the British Grand Prix taking place on 10 July.
It has also been announced that no new teams will be entered for next season with the FIA insisting that “none of the candidates meet the requirements” to be granted an entry.