"Coaching" still banned, but FIA defers part of team radio ban to 2015

The FIA has bowed to teams' concerns over reliability and decided to defer some of the ban on team to driver radio messages until 2015.

Teams were concerned that some messages passed to the driver regarding the management of the complex systems on the cars were necessary to avoid reliability problems which could incur additional costs and lead to technical failures and retirements.

These were aired in a lengthy meeting in the FIA's office in the Singapore paddock yesterday afternoon.

The proposal was to defer these bans until 2015 to allow teams time to develop new systems on the cars which the driver can manage without risking damaging any components on the car, such as the clutch, the differential or the power unit. There were concerns about drivers preparing the cars for the start of Sunday's race and risking a chaotic start.

However the fundamental thrust of the team radio ban remains; the teams are no longer allowed to "coach" the drivers in driving techniques and other areas related to finding performance when out on circuit.

This is in response to complaints from fans, drivers and other observers who felt that the drivers were being portrayed as "puppets" being told what to do by engineers via radio

"Messages concerning a driver's own performance will not be allowed, but the expected ban on those relating to car performance will now be postponed until 2015 to give teams more time to prepare," the FIA statement said.

In a poll of 2,000 readers on JA on F1 last night 78% of readers sympathised with the teams' concerns and agreed that these changes to the ban needed to be made.

For more background on this, read yesterday's post, featuring the view of Williams Head of Vehicle Performance Rob Smedley Teams Push Back on Radio Ban

Meanwhile Bernie Ecclestone has admitted that the double points bonus for the last race of the season has not been well received and could well be dropped for 2015.