Paris  - The number of wins rather than the highest number of points will decide the Formula One title from the 2009 season onwards, world motorsport federation FIA decided Tuesday.

In the event of two or more drivers finishing with the same number of race wins, the title will go to the driver with the most points, FIA's Motorsport World Council ruled.

The rest of the standings will still be decided on the current scoring system.

If the new regulations had been in effect last season, Ferrari's Felipe Massa and not McLaren's Lewis Hamilton of Briton would have won the drivers' championship.

The Brazilian driver lost out by 98-97 points but won six races to the British racer's five.

The council rejected a proposal from the teams to change the scoring system to 12, nine and seven points for the first three finishers, retaining the 10-8-6-5-4-3-2-1 points system.

The council also rejected a suggestion by Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone to award gold, silver and bronze medals for the top three drivers in each race.

The constructors' championship will still be decided by points, rather than team wins.

The FIA also agreed to introduce a voluntary budget cap from 2010 of 33 million euros (42 million dollars) per two-car team. Teams who agree to the cost cap will receive "greater technical freedom."

FIA president Max Mosley said the regulation would "encourage intelligent development."

A FIA statement said: "As an alternative to running under the existing rules, which are to remain stable until 2012, all teams will have the option to compete with cars built and operated within a stringent cost cap.

"To enable these cars to compete with those from teams which are not subject to cost constraints, the cost-capped cars will be allowed greater technical freedom." (dpa)