MOTOR SPORT: Formula One's world governing body has averted a potential row with the Formula One Teams' Association (FOTA) by agreeing to defer their controversial new 'winner-takes-all' system until 2010.
Just two hours after FOTA voiced an official protest to the plan, whereby the driver with most race wins becomes F1 champion, the International Automobile Federation (FIA) reacted swiftly.
FOTA had earlier accused the FIA of acting outside the rules when it decided to change the points scoring system at a meeting in Paris on Tuesday.
FOTA added that the teams had "unanimously agreed to question the validity of this decision".
"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 One Championship," the statement added.
FOTA had proposed changing the scoring structure to a 12-9-7-5-4-3-2-1 points format from the existing 10-8-6-5-4-3-2-1 but the FIA's world motor sport council rejected that.
The FIA said the `winner takes all' proposal, which was subsequently approved, had been put forward by commercial rights holder Bernie Ecclestone after he told the sport's governing body the teams were in favour of it.
FOTA said teams were prepared to work with the FIA to devise a new system for the 2010 season.
The rule change received a mixed reaction when it was announced. World champion Lewis Hamilton said he had doubts about the new system.
"I think it's a shame what's happening to Formula One," said the 24-year-old in a statement. "It's hard to believe that these recent decisions will improve things for the trackside spectators and TV viewers, who should always be our number one priority, but I guess we'll have to wait and see."