As expected the FIA has dropped the team orders rule from the 2011 F1 sporting regulations. However it has reminded teams that Article 151c – concerning bringing the sport into disrepute – could still be used.
The FIA has approved a number of other changes to the 2011 regs, many involving penalties and their application, although some have yet to be fully clarified.Among them is a stricter control on flexible front wings.
The full list is as follows:
– The article forbidding team orders (39.1) is deleted. 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
– Amendments to the list of penalties Stewards are permitted to apply
– Revisions to driving and driver conduct
– A limit on the width of the fast lane in the pits
– The introduction of a regulation permitting the Race Director to close the pit lane during a race for safety reasons
– The re-introduction of intermediate tyres for 2011
– Penalties to be applied to any driver who fails to use both specification of dry weather tyre during the race
– An amendment requiring gearboxes to be used for five consecutive races, instead of four
– Clarification on when cars can overtake the safety car
– A refinement to the principles of the regulations already agreed concerning moveable rear wings
– A better definition of the reference plane, and reinforcement of bodywork deflection tests, especially at the front of the reference plane
– The allowance for anti-intrusion panels to protect drivers’ legs
In addition, the following amendment were made to the 2012 Technical Regulations:
– Team communications will be made available to broadcasters
– The inclusion of fuel compounds produced from biomass
– A limitation on suspension uprights
Adam Cooper F1 
“The re-introduction of intermediate tyres for 2011”
Hm? Didn’t they use inters in 2010 as well?
It’s just a clarification of what we used to know as ‘wet’ and ‘extreme wet,’ apparently at the request of Pirelli.
About time team orders was dropped, contrary to what the likes of Whitmarsh and Horner say team orders were used last season (plenty of the drivers said as much), e.g. all those messages to the McLaren drivers about Fuel were comical frankly, perhaps Ferrari can feel hard done to that they had to pay out a fine for it all.
I’m very happy to see the back of team orders and return to rules which are far more in keeping with motorsport and more in keeping with the heritage of the sport.
The big story here is that from 2012,
– Team communications will be made available to broadcasters!
Finally we’ll have coverage of what we want to hear, not what FOM decides to let us hear.
So in Poland, they’ll be getting most of Kubica’s radio communications, in Spain Alonso, etc.
This will take the coverage to a whole new level.
F1 is slowly but surely catching up with NASCAR in terms of their coverage!
Had the reintroduction of the 107% qualifying rule been passed already, or was it dropped?
Nothing been said on that so far.
I checked on it, the WMSC made the rule change in June: http://www.fia.com/en-GB/mediacentre/pressreleases/wmsc/2010/Pages/wmsc_230610.aspx
Well spotted, but things do come and go so we have to await publication of the sporting regs to see if it’s actually made it