Formula One Features — March 2003

Unless you are born and brought up in the sport - and many these days are - it can seem from the outside to be very complex and sometimes impenetrable. You may have watched Formula 1 on the television and thought: I would like to be a Grand Prix driver but you have no idea what to do about it. The answer is karting.

David Richards admits that he is pedantic by nature. He likes things neat and tidy. His offices are immaculate. Radiators and air-conditioning units are hidden. Apples must be green and healthy-looking. People must be presentable. The man himself is more of a free spirit and his Don Johnson, nearly-shaved look seems somehow incongruous sticking out of the top of a neat suit and tie. He seems a little weary. He has flown in from Japan the previous day and did not sleep much. He is two minutes late arriving but apologizes for it.

The last few months have seen major changes in the way in which Formula 1 will be run in 2003 with wholesale changes in the structure of events and some important reinterpretations of the technical regulations. The cars will remain fundamentally unchanged but certain electronic systems have been outlawed as the FIA has ruled that they contravene the rule which states that drivers must drive their cars "alone and unaided". Here are the major rule changes.