Following is a summary of changes to the technical and sporting regulations made by the FIA for the Formula 1 season.
Engines
Specifications of the engine used in the last two races of the 2006 season Formula 1 will be used for the next four seasons. This means that an engine freeze has been in force for the next four years. Some limited development, but is only allowed under strict control of the FIA. There are some loop holes I would say. Of course, I understand the need to reduce costs, but this rule may result in Formula 1 races very predictable. The team with the strongest or fastest engine will have an advantage for the next four seasons, the FIA or to be more lenient if the development is not one of the first.
Friday practice sessions of the teams are allowed to use the engines.This goes against the FIA in order to save costs, since all teams use different engines for the Friday practice. It should increase action in the course of Friday, however, that the fans of Formula 1 better exposure. In addition, the team can not risk having an accident and the destruction of the race chassis, as this would spell disaster for the team for the rest of the weekend.
Tires
Teams receive two different compounds of Bridgestone tires for the weekend. Increase the number of tires in eight games assigned to each Formula 1 team on Friday and ten sets for the rest of the weekend. One of these ten sets should be returned to the supplier before qualifying. The other eight groups of four sets of each compound can be used for qualifying and the race. Both compounds should be used by all drivers in the race. A good strategy is important here. Races could be won or lost, if the compound is used in a bad moment in the race wrong. I hope that most of the teams to start with the softer of the two compounds to ensure proper tracking of the position and try to stay away from the masses at the start. Accidents requiring the deployment of the safety car before the first round of pit stops, however, would give a computer with a harder compound advantage.
Practical sessions
The two Friday practice sessions will now be 90 minutes and not 60 minutes. Third cars are no longer allowed, but teams may use an alternate test driver for each of Friday’s session. The third driver to use an auto racing team, but an alternative you can use the engine. This means that a team can use a controller and a pilot test run in each session, or using only the two race drivers with alternate engines. Up to four drivers for the season is still in force.
Car Safety
The Pit Lane will be closed when the safety car is deployed until all cars are grouped together behind the safety car. Lapped car running between cars on the lead lap must pass the lead car and take a position at the rear of the field, in fact unlapping it. At first when I read this article gave me the impression that the cars could not be hole in the safety car during all periods. After reading the rules was made clear that only the pit lane was closed until all the cars behind the safety car. With modern careers pushing all the barriers that would be interesting to see what would happen if a team is scheduled for a pit stop and a crash highlights the safety car. Most teams who do not have enough fuel to sit behind the safety car for a couple of laps and a pit stop during this time to incur a penalty of 10 seconds.
Other changes
There are many other small changes in the rules for the 2007 season of Formula1 racing and a lot of these changes have been incorporated to improve security. As an example, the cars will be equipped with a display of colored lights which represent the different color parameters used. Supervisors must be able to alert drivers of hazards and risks more effectively.
A doctor at the light will be installed in all cars of Formula 1 teams to rescue an immediate indication of the severity of an accident.
Car racing Formula 1 must pass a rigorous series of crash tests, for the sake of improving security.
