OCTOBER 4, 2001

Electronic rule changes in F1

The FIA World Motor Sport Council has voted to allow radio signals to pass backwards and forwards from cars to pits in the course of races.

THE FIA World Motor Sport Council has voted to allow radio signals to pass backwards and forwards from cars to pits in the course of races. This will open the way for all manner of telemetry which will allow teams to change the cars from the pits. However the FIA has said that there will be no systems allowed which is allow a car to detect the race start signal - although it will be interesting to see how the governing body is going to stop such a thing.

Electronically-controlled power steering systems are not going to be allowed.

Amongst the other ideas voted through by the World Council are a new side load crash test for the rear of the car, increasing the strength of wheel tethers, the size of the mirrors and the size of the rear lights.