The World Motor Sport Council (WMSC) has agreed a number of changes for the 2015 and 2016 seasons during a meeting in Qatar on Wednesday.
Included in the long list of changes is a proposed 21-race calendar with the return of both Korea and Mexico next season [read more here].
Double Points and Standing Restarts
As already reported, double points and standings restarts have both been scrapped following fan and team disapproval of both regulations.
Race Suspension
The suspension of a race has also been tweaked, with drivers now ordered to enter the pits and queue in order of arrival and await further instruction.
Penalties
If a driver is handed a grid penalty for changing a component on their power unit outside of the permitted allocation, but are unable to drop the specified number of places, i.e. qualified 15th, but ordered to drop ten places, then they will no longer be required to serve the remainder of the penalty at the following event. Instead, a time penalty will be applied.
A new ten-second penalty has been introduced in addition to the current five-second penalty. It will be served in the same manner.
Unsafe Release
If a car is deemed to have been released in an unsafe condition during a race a ten-second stop-and-go penalty will be imposed on the driver concerned. An additional penalty will be imposed on any driver who, in the opinion of the stewards, continues to drive a car knowing it to have been released in an unsafe condition.
Safety Car: Lapped Cars
Once the last lapped car has passed the leader the safety car will return to the pits at the end of the following lap, the race director will no longer have to wait for all the lapped cars to reach the back of the pack behind the safety car.
Technical Regulations
– The weight of the car, without fuel, must not be less than 702kg at all times during the event (up from 701kg).
– Changes have been made to the rules governing Wind Tunnel Testing and with regard to the aerodynamic reporting periods for 2015 and 2016.
– Any suspension system fitted to the front/rear wheels must be so arranged that its response results only from changes in load applied to the front/rear wheels.
– The Zylon anti-intrusion panels on both sides of the survival cell have been extended upwards to the rim of the cockpit and alongside the pilot’s head.
Super Licences (2016)
Changes have been made to the way in which Super Licences will be granted to drivers. The rules are much stricter and come into force following the promotion of several drivers, who some believe to be too young or inexperienced for F1.
– They must hold a valid driving licence as well as being a minimum of 18-years-old and have knowledge of the F1 Sporting Regulations and ISC rules.
They must have also completed 300km of running in an F1 car, two years minimum experience in minor Formula’s such as GP2/3, Formua Renault etc.
Finally, they must have accrued enough points (using a system to be determined) in previous Formulas to qualify.
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