FIA may defer new points system

Formula Ones ruling body backed down on Friday and agreed to put off a new points system until next season after the teams objected.

The Formula One Teams Association said FIAs decision this week that the championship will go to the driver with the most race wins instead of the highest points total was invalid,prompting the governing body to reverse course. If,for any reason,the Formula One teams do not agree with the new system,its implementation will be deferred until 2010, FIA said in a statement.

FIA said that it made its decision on Tuesday under the impression that the teams wanted the switch. The change met with criticism from drivers including world champion Lewis Hamilton (picture above) and Fernando Alonso.

Strong objections

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FOTA had rallied strongly against the move. It is too late for FIA to impose a change for the 2009 season that has not obtained the unanimous agreement of all the competitors properly entered into the 2009 Formula 1 Championship, FOTA said in a statement.

The teams said their proposal to award more points for victories would make the sport more attractive. They want to reopen talks with the ruling body over a compromise for next season.

Hamilton,Alonso and Michael Schumacher have all criticised the change,which the FIA agreed to on Tuesday despite one of the most exciting finishes ever to a season. Hamilton clinched the title after overtaking on the final bend of the final lap of the final race. With the new system,Ferraris Massa would have been the 2008 champion because he led McLarens Hamilton 6-5 in race wins. Hamilton won the title by one point.