New F1 rules for 2010
Reuters - Wed, 03 Mar 11:01:00 2010
A look at the new F1 rules for the 2010 season which starts in Bahrain on March 14.
Formula One has tossed the refuelling rigs on the scrapheap, souped-up the scoring system and stretched the starting grid and the race calendar for 2010.
The main aim is to make the glamour sport more exciting and encourage drivers to do their utmost to try to win races, rather than settling for second place and safe points.
The following looks at the main novelties and changes for the 19-race season starting in Bahrain on March 14, as well as their likely impact on what happens on the track:
REFUELLING BAN
For the first time since 1993, cars must start with a full tank of fuel to last the entire race. Fuel tanks have increased in size from around 80 litres to 250, and the cars have a longer wheelbase.
Drivers will still have to stop for tyre changes which could now take as little as three seconds and become a key strategic focus.
"I think, looking at testing, we are going to get a lot of very unusual strategies in the race," says world champion Jenson Button.
"I think you are going to have some teams trying to stop two or three laps before their rivals so they can get out on new tyres and maybe bump them.
"You'll also have the teams that aren't so competitive trying crazy strategies like pitting after lap one and hoping to run to the end of the race."
With more emphasis on fuel economy, the sport also hopes to present a greener image.
The starting weights of cars will no longer be published.
POINTS
The scoring system now looks more like that used in MotoGP, with the top 10 picking up points and the winner getting 25 rather than 10.
The new system adopts a 25-18-15-12-10-8-6-4-2-1 format.
KERS
Teams have agreed not to use the Kinetic Energy Recovery System (KERS) that helped McLaren and Ferrari to win races last season.
The system, used to telling effect by Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen at Spa in Belgium last year, gave drivers a short extra burst of power at the push of a button. The minimum weight of cars has been raised from 605kg to 620.
TYRES
The front tyres have been made narrower. Compounds will also be harder to compensate for the cars being heavier.
Drivers who reach the third and final phase of qualifying will have to start the race on the same set of tyres with which their grid time was set. This will introduce an additional strategic element to the race.
The number of sets of dry weather tyres allocated to each team per race has been reduced from 14 to 11. One set must be returned after first practice and two after second practice.
Wheel rim covers, used by many in 2009, are not allowed.
TESTING
In-season testing remains banned but a new regulation allows teams to test a replacement driver if he has not taken part in a grand prix in the two previous calendar years.
In such a case, one day of track testing will be allowed at a circuit not used by Formula One and "between the start of the week preceding the second event and the last event of the championship".
TEAMS AND RACES
The grid has been expanded from 10 teams and 20 cars to 13 teams and 26 cars. Four new teams were given slots -- Virgin Racing, Lotus F1, Hispania Racing and U.S. F1.
However, there could be only 12 teams in Bahrain with USF1 seemingly unready to race.
Another outfit, Stefan GP, are waiting in the wings with the car designed by Toyota before the Japanese manufacturer pulled out at the end of last year.
The championship has been expanded from 17 to 19 races, with the addition of South Korea and return of Canada.
QUALIFYING
If there are 26 cars, then the slowest eight (instead of five in 2009) will be eliminated after the first qualifying session and a further eight after the second.
All will qualify on low fuel.
STEWARDS
Experienced former F1 drivers will form part of the stewards' panel, with four stewards sitting at each race instead of the previous three.
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Comment 12 - 31 of 31
if you want to see overtaking, just reverse the final positions after qualifying , so the last start first and vice versa
Maybe we can start a petition to ban rule changes for atleast five to ten years
John W., your statement "Unlike our Nascar and Indy races, a F1 race winner can almost be predicted after qualifying" is sooooo off the mark. Were you watching in 2001 when Juan Pablo Montoya was getting a lot of pole positions? I think he got 5 that year, but they DID NOT LEAD TO RACE WINS or the Driver's Championship. F1 - over-technical? I think not. It's probably just too celebral a sport for YOU. Boring? Try driving over "Au Rouge" at Spa-Francorchamps or "Kopps" at Silverstone at 100+ mph and then talk!
the answer is very very simple, remove the aero packages, its them thats makin overtakin so hard, the cars need more mechanical grip with clever suspension and less aero grip which is causing too much turbulent air behind the car the overtaking car has to fight through, No front and rear wings means faster cars, slower cornering speed and more overtaking, the FIA know this too, its not a secret, but the tracks will need the corners redesigning too to allow 2 lanes round the corner. the route closer to the corner kerbs should be flat but the outside route should be raised so the drivers could take the outside route faster...simple....a cure to the lack of overtaking
Surely it must dawn on someone that constant rule changes are the main reason for sky hig costs,it impossible to run a car for more than one season because after the last race none of the cars are eligible for the next season so everybody junks them and starts again it crazy.
Takeing out the pit stops for refueling doesn't add to the excitement, it just makes the race even more predictable. The reason F1 racing is not that popular in America is that it's too over-technical and kinda boring. Unlike our Nascar and Indy races, a F1 race winner can almost be predicted after qualifying. It's very hard to pass in F1, and unless a pit stop mishap or a car breaks down, the car that starts first usually wins the race. Why don't they widen the tracks to allow more passing? That would certainly make the race more exciting. If F1 tried a few tweeks to make the races more entertaining, America would show up. As far as America having an F1 team that could compete with the established teams, I would like to see GM (Cadillac) field a team now. The CTS-V is already kicking BMW, Audi and Mercedes butts on the track and in sales too, and the Corvette ZR-1 has Ferrari and Lamborghini drivers checking out the nice view of its rear end, and wondering why they paid 3 times more than the American car that just smoked em.
err...how does having a 120-litres of fuel at the start make it more dangerous than havin 80-litres in smaller tank? Just because the volume goes up does not mean that the risk does too. As we have seen many times, all it takes is a trickle on a hot exhasut when the car is being refuelled in a race and we get instant roasted mechanics!
Driving car with full tank is like driving a car with a time bomb which will explodes at any time. Is it safe or dangerous?
If they want to increase the amount of passing, why not have half of the cars go clockwise and half counter-clockwise? Duh!
Finally rid of refuelling. If they can get the cars to overtake each other then that should be the end of 'waiting for the stops to pass', as the compulsory tyre stops will be really quick. Also nice to see potter's comments getting instantly thumbed down everywhere. Gives me hope that this site can be reclaimed by those with a genuine interest in F1 this year. More please.
SICK OF THEM KEEP CHANGING THE RULES, WHY CANT THEY JUST LEAVE IT AS IT WAS. KNOB JOCKEYS
no kers lol. mclearn will be no good then
come on F1 forget all the knockers lets have a great year good luck to jenson and lewis may the best man win new rules good for all great to see schui back
They are supposed to be making F1 safer, but driving with all that fuel onboard is going to make it more dangerous surely
Rules! We don't need no stinking rules.
Pass safety tests, crash tests etc.
Then perhaps limit engine displacement and perhaps boost levels.
If you want to keep speeds down, then limit tire size and fuel allotment per race. Make as much power as you can, but only use xx liters of fuel per race, and no more.
Let them re-fuel during race, but ONLY gravity feed through a two inch diameter hose!
And the re-fueler can only raise the lollipop after the fuel hose is stored.
Then Run what 'ya brung!
When the green flag drops, the B.S. stops.
im starting a new movement, formula one spectators panel
250 litres of fuel? It'll be like driving a bomb.
I would like to see a ban on rule changes, effective from this year.
Why each and every season of F1 there are always and always be a rule changing? Why can they do a proper rules and stick to it for the next five to ten years? I’m already feeling tired of F1 rule changing. Look At motoGP, WRC for example. They slightly change their rules n regulations every season. Racing is about passion to win and adrenalin to score a point.
craig's rule should be instated just fo giggles, and refurring to tyre compounds, this article is about rule CHANGES, so if you used your brain (if you have one), you would realise that the rules still apply.
F1 TILL I DIE!
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