OCTOBER 15, 2003

World Council decisions

The World Motor Sport Council has voted through the expected changes in Formula 1 and the result is hardly what can consider to be cost-cutting initiatives with 18 races on the F1 calendar, Canada having paid its way back to the fold. The race weekends have been restructured with two free sessions on Fridays with all but the top four teams being allowed to run three cars but only with drivers who have a superlicence and have not taken part in more than six events during them two previous World Championships. Third cars can if necessary run in different liveries.

Saturday will consist of two morning sessions as usual with qualifying consisting of two parts with a two minute gap. This will give drivers two qualifying runs. Any car stopping in the first part will not be allowed to take part in the second, if the car is brought back to the pits before the end of the session it must remain in parc ferme until the end of the session. Refuelling rigs will be allowed in the first part subject to everyone wearing suitable clothing and photographers being restricted as for a race; the running order for the second part will be determined by the times achieved in the first part reversed and cars will run with race fuel and race settings as in 2003.

Each driver will be allocated three sets of dry tires for Friday but these cannot be used after that. None of the other sets may be used on Friday. The choice of tires must now be made by 09.00 on Saturday although this choice may be postponed until 13.00 on Saturday if the Friday sessions are wet.

The cars will remain in parc ferme as they have been this year but fuel circulation for cooling is now prohibited.

The only other major change is that the pitlane speed limit for qualifying and race will be raised to 100km/h although this may be reduced at tracks with a narrow pitlane.