FIA president Max Mosley proposed last week that safer, more affordable racing should be the drive behind major changes to Formula One. Under the proposed rules, a 750hp engine limit would apply, hand-operated transmissions would return and electronic driver aids would be outlawed in an attempt to reduce the cost and danger of Formula One racing without damaging the spectacle. Formula 1 in 2008 has technical regulations that are clearly aimed at reducing not only speeds but also the astronomical cost of testing and developing the cars. In effect, FIA president Max Mosley has issued a ‘back off’ order to the car makers and tyre companies whose multi-million dollar budgets have allowed a handful of teams to dominate the sport. With the support of Bernie Ecclestone, Mosley is determined to make racing far safer. Engines will be 2.4-litre V8s with electronic restrictions to keep horsepower down to 750 bhp, compared with the current 900. The engines will have to last for two race weekends, and there will be heavy penalties for any driver who has to change an engine. The heart of the restrictions will be a standard engine control unit (ECU), issued by the FIA much like the boost restrictors used during the turbo era of F1. This means it will also be possible for the FIA to outlaw the electronic driver aids, including traction control, that has been blamed for reducing the driver’s input and taking away much of the sport’s potential spectacle. The FIA also wants to see the return of conventional hand-shifted transmissions and clutches, although electronic rev limiters will be allowed to ensure reliability. There will be standard specification brake discs, pads and callipers, while tyre development will be curtailed by allowing only one tyre manufacturer and imposing restrictions on the number of tyres to be used at each race weekend to two sets per car. Ecclestone however, does recognise that circuit activity over a race weekend must include three full days of action. To improve the show, there will be a return to a Friday qualifying session and possibly also to an old-style open qualifying session on Saturday, with four runs allowed. Mosley has expressed determination to open the door to new F1 entrants, whose participation has been blocked in recent years by the demand for a punitive ($55 million) financial guarantee before the team can even begin racing. Under the FIA’s provisions, encouragement will be offered to newcomers by permitting them to race cars and equipment purchased from existing teams.
