F1 will defer new point system

FIA has said it is prepared to defer to 2010 a controversial new system awarding the Formula One drivers' championship to whoever wins most races.

"If, for any reason, the Formula One teams do not now agree with the new system, its implementation will be deferred until 2010," FIA said in a statement.

The Formula One Teams' Association had earlier accused the FIA of acting outside the rules when it decided to change the points scoring system at a meeting in Paris.

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.