2007 Formula One Regulation Changes

[Ed]

At the World Motor Sport Council meeting on the 18th of October, the following changes to the 2007 Formula 1 Sporting Regulation were approved:

Practice
Teams may only use two cars in any one practice session. A nominated third driver or either race driver can use these cars in the session.
The two free practice sessions on the first day of practice have been extended from one hour to ninety minutes each.

Tyres
The single tyre supplier is required to provide identical quantities and specifications of tyres to all teams over a calendar year.
It may only provide two specifications of tyre at each Event.
The quantity of dry-weather tyres each driver may use at an Event has been increased from seven sets to 14. A maximum of four sets will be available to each driver for the first day of practice and 10 for the remainder of the Event.

Engines
The two-race engine regulations will now only apply to the second day of practice and the day of the race.
Engines homologated and used during the last two Events of 2006 must now be used during the 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010 seasons.

Safety Car
When the Safety Car is deployed no car is permitted to enter the pits until all are bunched up behind the Safety Car. This is to remove all incentive for cars to be driven quickly back to the pits for refuelling when the Safety Car is deployed.
Before the Safety Car returns to the pits any lapped car between cars running on the lead lap must pass those cars and the safety car. It may then proceed around the track to take up position at the back of the line of cars behind the safety car.
Before a race is resumed any lapped car between cars running on the lead lap must pass those cars and the safety car and then proceed around the track to take up position at the back of the line of cars behind the safety car.

Stewards
The stewards may now impose grid place penalties.

[Ed]

The additional time in practice and the removal of the single engine rule on Friday should mean more on track activity however this means Saturday practice is likely to be less active!

The new safety car regs sound a bit confusing but also sound safer in some aspects. However, the pit lane could have 22 cars pitting at the same time and that may cause problems especially as the teams release their cars.
This procedure will also disadvantage the second car in a team as the two cars would be coming in at the nearly same time.

And what happens if a car is scheduled to pit and the safety car is deployed, will it have to stay out ? Will they install lights at the entry to the pit lane ?

[gkaytaz]

The additional time in practice and the removal of the single engine rule on Friday should mean more on track activity however this means Saturday practice is likely to be less active!

Most likely there will be very few if any at all on the track lest the engine/gearbox cause problems.

The new safety car regs sound a bit confusing but also sound safer in some aspects. However, the pit lane could have 22 cars pitting at the same time and that may cause problems especially as the teams release their cars.
This procedure will also disadvantage the second car in a team as the two cars would be coming in at the nearly same time.

More fireworks Looks like we need to see the new SC rules in action once to fully understand. It's worse for the guys out there. There may be a couple of additional penalties until the teams and drivers come to grips with the rules.

And what happens if a car is scheduled to pit and the safety car is deployed, will it have to stay out ? Will they install lights at the entry to the pit lane ?

I guess it'll have to wait until all cars pass and then rejoin the queue.

[Southernman]

I wonder if the new safety car regulations are designed to artificially compress the field and that officials will be told to bring out the safety car at the slightest sign of trouble in the race to keep the cars closer together for longer periods in the race.

[gkaytaz]

I wonder if the new safety car regulations are designed to artificially compress the field and that officials will be told to bring out the safety car at the slightest sign of trouble in the race to keep the cars closer together for longer periods in the race.

"Probably" for part one (artificial compress), "not likely" for part two (slightest sign of trouble). Of course stewards may still see it fit to bring out the SC after a crash that does not directly affect the racetrack but the backmarkers will create a heck of a chaos every time. I am more concerned regarding the pitlane regulations (the ones Ed mentioned).

[Snowy]

I wonder if the new safety car regulations are designed to artificially compress the field and that officials will be told to bring out the safety car at the slightest sign of trouble in the race to keep the cars closer together for longer periods in the race.

You can count on it

With any luck F1 will go the way of Champ Cars and IRL with everybody loosing interest - but not before Lewis Hamilton becomes WDC of course - and there is a huge renaissance in Rally and Touring cars and cheap and cheerful racing becomes abundant and it's entertainment value is finally recognised throughout the world.

[Southernman]

An adaptation of North American safety cars rule were the first thoughts that crossed my mind when reading the new F1 safety car rules for the first time. It probably rates higher on TV to have cars pit at the same time rather than the staggered pit stops that F1 currently has.

On tracks that have good pit lanes I don't think that there should be major problems if teams plan well for it. Mistakes (some deliberate) will occur and some teams will find creative ways to push the boundries of the new rules.

I can see major problems on tracks like Monaco.