MOTOR SPORT: Qualifying: Will now take place over two sessions - one each on Friday and Saturday. Each driver will get one run (consisting of a "hot" lap framed by an out and in lap) per day to set a time.
Friday's time will determine in what order the drivers will run in the Saturday session, with that session determining grid position for the race. In Melbourne the Friday session was determined by driver championship position at the end of last year. Thereafter it will be by the current driver standings. On Saturdays, the fastest man from Friday will go out last.
Points: To prolong the championship, points will now be awarded down to eighth (10, 8, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1).
Parc Ferme: Once a Saturday qualifying session is complete, all cars will be brought to parc ferme (the area the podium finishers drive to after the race ends), where each car will be kept until the race. Limited work will be allowed on the cars with the permission and under the strict supervision of the FIA. Cars may be brought to the team's garage for work to be effected, again under the supervision of an FIA official. This is, in part, to prevent teams running special qualifying engines. The impounding also means that the cars will have to start the race on fuel reserves left over from qualifying and on the tyres used in qualifying. Tyres damaged beyond normal wear may be replaced but only with tyres of greater wear.
Spare Cars: Scrutineers will only pass two cars for the weekend. A replacement chassis will only be permitted if damage beyond repair has been sustained in a session prior to the race. If a race car fails just before the start, any spare car will start from the pit lane, as will a spare car used following a race stoppage in the first two laps.
Telemetry: Pit-to-car telemetry, by which engineers can make adjustments to the car's set-up from the pits, is banned.
Radio communication: Must be a stand-alone system not capable of data transfer and on a frequency open to the FIA. Teams will rely on codes to discuss strategic options.
Electronics: From the British GP (July 7th) on, traction control, launch control and fully automatic gearboxes will no longer be permitted, seeing a return to greater driver input into car control.
107 Per Cent Rule: The rule whereby drivers who did not meet a time within 107 per cent of the pole time did not qualify to race has been abandoned.
HANS System: All drivers will be required to wear the controversial HANS (Head and Neck Safety) system. Many consider it a hindrance.
Friday Morning Testing: Four teams - Jordan, Minardi, Jaguar and Renault - have signed up to the rule that gives them testing time at GPs on Fridays from 8.30 a.m. until 10.30 a.m. in exchange for limiting their other test days during the year.
