After the recent World Motor Sport Council meeting, the FIA published the rules for next year, and Article 6.1 of the sporting regulations said the drivers title "will be awarded to the driver who has been classified first in the greatest number of races".
The governing body had previously tried to introduce Bernie Ecclestone's favored system this year, but the late change was vetoed by the F1 teams alliance FOTA.
It seems that the Article 6.1 inclusion of 30 April was simply a mistake. The article now explains that the drivers' title "will be awarded to the driver who has scored the highest number of points".
We reported in March that the FIA would consult the teams before trying to introduce the system for 2010, but then the new sporting regulations for next year were published - and already featured the controversial rule.
The news had slipped the attention of the media because - unlike all other changes to the rules - the amended rule was not highlighted in pink and underlined in copies of the 2010 sporting regulations. The explanation of the error of inclusion now makes some sense.
The FIA's decision to allow drivers in 'Q3' to refuel under parc ferme conditions prior to the race hasn't changed in the latest update to the rules. This allowance ensures the spectacle of low-fuel dashes for pole position, not affected by varying race strategies. (GMM)