17/01/2009
NEWS STORY
The FIA appears to have dropped the three-race engine rule due to be introduced this season.
Though the sport's governing body hasn't announced anything officially, the change came to light when the 2009 sporting regulations were posted on the its website.
Article 28.4 states that: "Each driver may use no more than eight engines during a championship season.
"Should a driver use more than eight engines," it continues, "he will drop 10 places on the starting grid at any event during which an additional engine is used."
As a result there is a certain amount of confusion, last month the Word Motor sport Council stated that there would be an eight engine quota per driver but also confirmed that the three-race rule agreed a month earlier would remain in force.
While an FIA spokesperson has this morning confirmed that the new rule would allow drivers to use their eight engines in whatever sequence they wished, Ferrari has admitted that details regarding the application of penalties have yet to be clarified.
The requirement for gearboxes to last for four successive races remains in force.