Paris court declares FIA's 2010 rules legal

A Paris court on Wednesday ruled against Ferrari, which last week requested an injunction against the FIA's budget cap rules for 2010. A one hour hearing was held on Tuesday at the Tribunal de Grande Instance, the equivalent of a high or crown court.

In the media statement issued on Wednesday afternoon, the lead judge found that the published FIA rules do not prevent Ferrari from entering next year's world championship and are thus completely legal.

After losing the court bid, Ferrari said it was considering prolonging the legal action against F1's governing body. It was understood that the verdict of the tribunal includes a right of appeal.

The iconic Ferrari, enraged by the FIA's budget cap intentions, has been accused of self-interest and dramatic posturing, but its Finnish driver Kimi Raikkonen has previously told reporters that he was “pretty sure” the team is going to pull out from next year’s race.

The 29-year-old, who won the drivers' title with the Maranello marque two years ago, said he is committed to staying with Ferrari in 2010 and suspects he will be racing in another category.