Teams objections cause FIA to change stance after seeking to remove straight mode zone with just hours notice.

As Stefano Domenicali poo-poos criticism of the rules overhaul, having told us all not to panic, hours before this morning's sole practice session the FIA announced that due to "safety concerns" the straight mode zone between Turns 8 and 9 was withdrawn.

"It is reasonably significant as a change, because teams have to adjust their set-ups of the cars," said the FIA's Single Seat Director, Nikolas Tombazis. "They have been running Friday in one condition, and they now need to make adjustments. So I'm sure there will be some who are not happy about that. But we feel that obviously, trying to put safety first, we think that's the most responsible course of action for this weekend.

"On most of the circuits these zones are fairly straight forward," he continued, "they are in genuine straight areas of the circuit. On three or four circuits in the year, one of which is Melbourne unfortunately, they also include some zones which are fairly curved, as happens on the fourth straight mode zone here in Melbourne between corners 8 and 9. So, we had a meeting yesterday with the drivers and some expressed a concern that the downforce in that area was a bit too low, especially if they were fighting for position with other cars and they felt they could risk losing control of the car in such conditions.

"As, of course, safety is number one for us, we decided following some analysis to err on the side of caution and to remove the fourth straight mode zone here for Melbourne, starting from FP3 and of course for qualifying in the race."

Understandably the teams were unhappy at having to make last minute changes to the set-up of their cars, with one source telling The Race: "This is like a football referee changing the size of the goalposts at halftime."

Such was the reaction the FIA subsequently reversed their decision and the zone was reinstated.

"Following the feedback received in the last hour from teams and drivers, and additional analysis contributed by teams, the decision to remove Straight Mode Zone #4 for Albert Park is rescinded," said the FIA.

"For the avoidance of doubt, this amendment is effective immediately, and Straight Mode activation Zone 4 will be in used in FP3. Further evaluation will take place during and after FP3."

"There will have been a process of acquiring information by the FIA," Andrea Stella told Sky Sports, "which is good thing because the FIA needs to take all the input on board.

"They have assessed the situation, probably there might have been bit of misunderstanding as to the severity of the matter or the number of people, teams and drivers that were supporting the change because actually there wasn't much support. So I think we are back in a reasonable place and now we get going."

It's understood that a majority of teams, but not all, were struggling with downforce in that particular section.

"I think it's about seven of the eleven teams," said Tombazis. "For a big proportion, the downforce they had on the front wheels was less than we had anticipated and made what looked like a safe choice transpired to be unsafe.

"This effect is not the same for all cars," he admitted, "but we couldn't just act on a few cars and say, 'Well, you need to change your set-up' and not on others'. We wouldn't have a robust enough criterion at short notice to do that. So that's why we felt it had to be an action for all cars, not for some cars, of course."