FIA drops team orders ban

- Published on Dec 10th, 2010 by Jack Lamure

F1's ban on team orders has been dropped for next season.

It is one of several changes confirmed today, most of which related to the technical future of the sport.

However following the contoversy over Ferrari's use of team orders in July's German Grand Prix the FIA has also decided to guard against a repeat of such problems by effectively making them legal.

The "article forbidding team orders (39.1) is deleted," a statement from the governing body said.

"Teams will be reminded that any actions liable to bring the sport into disrepute are dealt with under Article 151c of the International Sporting Code and any other relevant provisions," it added.

This implies that anything as farcical as what Ferrari did at the U.S Grand Prix of 2002 - where Michael Schumacher and Rubens Barrichello seemingly attempted to stage a dead heat - could still be punished. However a repeat of Germany 2010 would likely be allowed.