F1 teams told they CAN talk to drivers... 24 hours after Bernie Ecclestone backs radio ban at Singapore Grand Prix

F1 teams will be allowed to speak to drivers during Singapore Grand Prix
Bernie Ecclestone had previously backed call for extensive radio ban
Teams will be able to transmit car performance but not give racing advice
A full set of restrictions will be implemented next season
Lewis Hamilton was fastest during practice at the Marina Bay Circuit
Nico Rosberg's session was hampered by Pastor Maldonado's crash

Formula One has never been confused for the Trappist Order, and so it proved again in the humid paddock on Friday when the sport’s equivalent of contemplative silence — an extensive ban on radio transmissions — was abolished before it had started.

So in Sunday's Singapore Grand Prix teams will be allowed to send drivers advice from the pit wall to the cockpit, farcically reversing an edict that was being trumpeted by no less than Bernie Ecclestone only 24 hours earlier.

However, there are limits to what the boffins can tell the drivers to do. Messages about the cars’ cutting-edge technology can still be relayed on radio. Coaching them in where to change gear or brake or accelerate are not.

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Teams will be able to communicate with drivers over radio at the Singapore Grand Prix

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F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone, pictured with wife Fabiana Flosi, had earlier backed calls for a ban

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The Marina Bay Circuit will stage round 14 of this season's race for the F1 world drivers' championships

Hurrah for that, at least. The 22 track jockeys, multi-millionaires among them, are the cream of a billion drivers in the world.

In a statement, the FIA said: ‘It seems to us that information being passed to the driver concerning the performance of his car should be separated from information concerning his own performance. Why the change? The teams argued that safety would be imperilled if the full rule change was rushed through. Some thought they could be disadvantaged.

Race director Charlie Whiting said: ‘It became clear that some teams would be seriously hampered compared to others, not just in their know-how or ability to react in the short term, but also with hardware choices that were made a year ago.

‘Two types of dashboard were available to the teams, and one can show a great deal more than the other. So in the interest of fairness we felt it would be better to introduce it in two stages and that is what we have done now.’

Lewis Hamilton: Unbearable heat makes Singapore toughest race

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Drivers like Lewis Hamilton will be able to receive car performance information but not racing tips

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Hamilton was fastest during practice at the Marina Bay Circuit ahead of Sunday's race

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Reigning world champion Sebastian Vettel keeps in touch with mechanics as he walks the pit lane

Instead, the full set of restrictions will be in place next season. Let’s hope the matter is carefully considered rather than hastily introduced and even more hurriedly rescinded as has happened here.

So what precisely is still banned? Teams will not be able to tell a driver how his line, use of kerbs, cornering technique compares to another competitor or in what way his gear selection differs from anyone else’s.

How they stand with six races to go

Nico Rosberg (Ger) 238pts

Lewis Hamilton (GB) 216

Daniel Ricciardo (A) 166

Valtteri Bottas (Fin) 122

Fernando Alonso (Sp) 121

He cannot be advised where to brake or apply the throttle or when to use of his drag reduction system or other overtake buttons. What punishment will be imposed? That is yet to be decided. A stop-go penalty — holding a driver in the pit lane — or moving him down the grid are possibilities. That is for the stewards to decide, though Whiting said the sanction would be ‘sporting rather than financial’.

There are potential problems in this. For example, will the race be subject to long post-race stewards’ verdicts? Will teams deliver messages in code or accuse rivals of doing so?

However, generally, the move to greater restrictions is positive. Drivers are the stars of motor racing and to denude them of their power undermines the allure of the sport.

‘This is not PlayStation,’ said Force India’s owner and team principal Vijay Mallya.

‘These rules that drivers should not be aided have been around for a long time but they have been abused for a long time, and this gets us back to that.’ In practice on Friday, with Lewis Hamilton fastest, there was only minor confusion. Drivers occasionally asked for information but had to be denied it.

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British and German press have differing notions over whether ban will favour Hamilton or Nico Rosberg

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Championship leader Nico Rosberg towels off in the garage during a practice session

Nico Rosberg previews the F1 Singapore Grand Prix

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Jenson Button claims that communication restrictions will favour hard working drivers

The most important question is how the new ruling will impact on the fight for the world drivers’ title between Hamilton and Mercedes team-mate Nico Rosberg.

Amusingly, the majority view in the German papers was that the changes favoured Rosberg, the more thoughtful of the two, while in Britain Hamilton was largely thought to be at an advantage because he is the more natural racer who does not need instructions to find speed.

There is logic to both theories. Jenson Button said hard-working drivers would be rewarded, and that sounded a reasonable appraisal.

Rosberg was hampered in practice when the red flag was waved when Pastor Maldonado crashed his Lotus, stopping his qualifying simulation lap. He ended up 13th in the time-sheets, just over a second-and-a-half behind Hamilton.

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Pastor Maldonado climbs out of his car after crashing during practice, an incident that hampered Rosberg

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Maldonado's Lotus car is removed from the track by marshals after the Venezuelan's crash

Another factor is the conditions. The race is long at nearly two hours and, even though it is held in the night, humidity and heat are oppressive. The drivers were dripping wet as they conducted their post-qualifying media engagements last night.

Hamilton, who trails Rosberg by 22 points, is supported here by his father Anthony and stepmother Linda — putting him in touch at this crucial stage of the season with the man who shaped his career.

Hamilton said: ‘They said they wanted to come, so I said yeah. I doubt they will be at every race but it is good to have their positivity. You have to keep the faith. There is never any question. It’s been like that since I was eight years old. I woke up believing that I could win the race and the championship. That was always our mentality. Me and my dad.’