In the wake of the row over Ferrari's use of team orders during the German GP and the ongoing confusion as to how teams can legally manipulate their drivers on track, FIA president Jean Todt has said he intends to regulate their use.

Whatever one thinks of team orders, they have been in use ever since the Formula One World Championship began in 1950. Teams, naturally, want the result that best suits them - usually in terms of the driver standings - as opposed to what the fans and media want to see.

What most people were unhappy about in terms of Ferrari's use of team orders at Hockenheim wasn't the fact that they did it but how they did it, many seeing it as a cynical move especially so early in the season.

When the FIA subsequently deliberated on whether to further punish the Italian team, the spotlight was on Todt who had been at the helm of the Maranello outfit when it scandalised the sport at the Osterreichring in 2002.

Speaking to the media, Todt has confirmed that the issue of team orders has still to be addressed, admitting that he prefers them to be regulated rather than allowed.

"Personally, I'm not against team orders, but I am against lying," he is quoted as saying by Gazzetta dello Sport, subsequently admitting that contrived team orders, such as claiming a driver has a problem, "deceive the audience and the media".

"Team orders have been banned since 2002," he continued, "but I ask myself how many have been issued in a 'soft' way. "The difference with that and what Ferrari did is that it was anything but soft. It was a provocation against the regulations."

Other than Ferrari in Germany, team orders were the talk of the F1 paddock, the media and amongst fans in the run up to the final races of the season, with speculation as to whether teams such as Red Bull or McLaren might use them to benefit one of their drivers.

Asked if the sport might be best served by simply banning team orders, Todt said: "It will be regulated. F1 is a team sport and each team will have responsibility for their behaviour. We will not tolerate lies or coded messages like 'save fuel'."

Asked about the incident in Austria in 2002, the Frenchman replied: "I shouldn't have had to say anything. We had agreed beforehand that if he (Rubens Barrichello) was in front after the pitstop, he was to let Schumacher pass without making a fuss. It was agreed, and drivers are paid to accept certain decisions. But he made me call him 50 times and he moved at the last corner... the audience booed, Schumacher gave him first place on the podium and Ferrari was fined $500,000 for violating protocol."

Asked if he regrets the incident, Todt admitted: "Yes, because with hindsight it could have been avoided. Schumacher would have won the championship anyway. But I would have regretted even more if we had lost the title by a couple of points."