One of the hot topics in recent weeks has been the inconsistency of the radio rules.

Lewis Hamilton got things going when he suffered a malfunction in Baku and called on his team for help resetting a mode on his steering wheel, the Briton being told that the rules didn't permit such assistance. Meanwhile, teammate Nico Rosberg, who had clearly read the instruction manual, dealt with a similar issue without any need for assistance.

In subsequent races, Kimi Raikkonen asked for a simple 'yes' or 'no' with a setting, while Force India was unable to warn Sergio Perez of an impending brake issue in Austria.

That msn Rosberg was back in the headlines when he was given a 10s time penalty at Silverstone after his team guided him through an issue, thereby sparking fears that teams would flout the rules knowing that at worst they would get a penalty similar to the German's.

In the wake of a major crack down, Jenson Button put the folly of the rules back in the headlines when he was handed a time penalty in Hungary after his team helped him with a brake issue, the Briton publicly criticising the rules, claiming that the instructions he was given related to safety and not performance.

Following today's meeting of the Strategy Group, where one of the priorities was the seeming inconsistency of certain rules and how they are applied, just a week after tightening said rules the FIA has performed a major climb down - and not for the first time this season.

"At the request of the Teams and Commercial Rights Holder, the FIA has agreed to adopt a more liberal approach to the interpretation of Article 27.1 (that a driver must drive the car “alone and unaided”)," said the sport's governing body tonight.

"With the exception of the period between the start of the formation lap and the start of the race, there will be no limitations on messages teams send to their drivers either by radio or pit board.

"This approach is aimed at providing improved content for fans and spectators, as teams will now be required to provide the Commercial Rights Holder with unrestricted access to their radio messages at all times that their cars are out of the garage."

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READERS COMMENTS

1. Posted by Jonno, 29/07/2016 19:09

"More backtracking on idiot rules created by Charlie Whiting. How much more nonsense will he be allowed to create before he finally gets his P45? How long will we have to suffer his restarts after a safety car? I can see that going down well with those who want to see dead cars on the grid and first corner accidents.

"

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2. Posted by Mad Matt, 29/07/2016 12:01

"I see again that the author says "Force India was unable to warn Sergio Perez of an impending brake issue in Austria", despite that being contradicted by the Force India team who, on the C4 coverage, said it was Nico they weren't allowed to talk to.

I think this is nuts, one extreme to another. I don't want to here driver coaching throughout the race, I want to see the drivers in charge of their cars. I don't want the team telling the drivers how to manage tyres, or fuel I want to see the drivers using their skill and experience to drive the cars.

"

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3. Posted by jcr, 29/07/2016 10:35

"Just show how bad F1 is at the moment
New rules made up on a daily basis.
Bernie & Charlie, and Jean Todt, decide who is in favour.
What happens if Rosberg loses championship by a Couple of points ???"

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4. Posted by mickl, 28/07/2016 22:41

"Rosberg will be rubbing his hands with glee at this news."

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5. Posted by TokyoAussie, 28/07/2016 22:02

"Yet another embarrassing climb down for the FIA after not thinking things through before implementing changes. That keeps their record perfect so far this season. Consistent. "

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6. Posted by Ro, 28/07/2016 21:28

"Followed by "someone has kidnapped BE" and a ransom of £1 has been demanded....No one yet has come up to pay it !"

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7. Posted by Greybeard, 28/07/2016 21:00

"So that's clear then...this week's rule is that you can tell the driver anything. Any bets on next week's rule? How about: No advice on which gear to use in corners and whether or not to save fuel...followed by a rule saying it's OK to give advice on safety issues...followed by a rule that brake failure is not a safety issue...followed by a rule saying there are no rules...followed by..."

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8. Posted by Kkiirmki, 28/07/2016 20:23

"Finally, common sense prevails...wait, what, surely I can't be talking about the FIA?"

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Radio rules relaxed with immediate effect.

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