Formula One to enter a new era in 2007

Formula One is about to enter a new era during the upcoming 2007 season. A lot of changes have been made within the F1 Teams, but also the Sporting Regulations are a bit different than in 2006. F1Technical points out the biggest changes in the Sportingl Regulations for the 2007 Formula One World Champion.

The Race Weekend Schedule has been amended as follows:

Friday: 10.00-11.30 Free Practice
14.00-15.30 Free Practice

Saturday: 11.00-12.00 Free Practice
14.00-15.00 Qualifying

Sunday: 14.00 Race
(or at other times according to the relevant local schedule).

Revised Friday Practice Format

• Teams may only use two cars in any one practice session with one driver allocated to each car.
• Each team can elect to run an additional driver during practice sessions one and two but as a result one of the race drivers can then not be used. The stewards must be informed before the end of initial scrutineering.
• The two free practice sessions on the first day of practice have been extended from one hour to 90 minutes each.

Tyre use and allocation

• Only one tyre supplier is to be present in the Championship and they must equip 100% of the entered teams and make available identical quantities and specifications of tyres to all teams during a calendar year.
• During the event no driver may use more than 14 sets of dry-weather tyres, four sets of wet-weather tyres and three sets of extreme-weather tyres.
• Each team will be allocated eight sets of dry-weather tyres, four of each specification, for use during practice one and two.
• Each driver will be allocated ten further sets of dry-weather tyres, five of each specification, for use during the remainder of the event. However, one set of each specification must be returned to the tyre supplier before the start of the qualifying practice session and may not be used during the remainder of the event.
• Unless he has used wet or extreme-weather tyres during the race, each driver must use at least one set of each specification of dry-weather tyres during the race.

Engine Penalties

• The two-race engine regulations will now only apply to the second day of practice and the day of the race.
• Engines homologated and used during the last two events of 2006 must now be used during the 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010 seasons.

Engine Homologation

• A homologated engine is an engine identical in every respect to either:
(1) An engine delivered to the FIA on or prior to 8th October 2006, such engine having completed two race events during the 2006 Championship season.
(2) An engine delivered to the FIA on or prior to 1st March 2007, such engine being identical to one delivered under (1) above but which has been modified by having any of the parts listed below changed as a result of the 19,000rpm limit:
• inlet and exhaust ports
• combustion chamber
• inlet and exhaust camshafts (including followers)
• inlet and exhaust valves
• piston shape and squirt jets
• piston pins
• connecting rod small ends and bearings
• big end bearings and oil flow rate to them

• Further changes, for car installation purposes only and which have no direct performance benefit, will also be permitted. Such changes are limited to:
• engine pick-up points to chassis and gearbox
• fluid inlets and outlets
• fixings for engine ancillaries
• electrical sensor installations
• engine ballast weight attachments
• bodywork and skid block fixings

• If a competitor intends to modify any of the parts listed above he must have provided precise details of the planned changes to the FIA on or before 15th December 2006.

Safety Car

• From the time the “SAFETY CAR DEPLOYED” message is displayed no car may enter the pit lane until all cars on the track have formed up in a line behind the safety car and the message “PIT LANE OPEN” is shown on the timing monitors.
• A ten second time penalty will be imposed on any driver who enters the pit lane before the second message is shown on the timing monitors.
• No penalty will be imposed if a driver enters the pits or stops in his designated garage area for the sole purpose of changing from dry-weather to wet or extreme-weather tyres or vice-versa without refuelling or carrying out any further work on the car.
• Once it is safe to do so, the message “LAPPED CARS MAY NOW OVERTAKE” will be shown on the timing monitors. Any lapped cars will be permitted to pass the cars on the lead lap and the safety car and then proceed around the track and take up position at the back of the line of cars.

2007 Technical Regulations

• All cars must be fitted with red, blue and yellow cockpit lights the purpose of which are to give drivers information concerning track signals or conditions. The lights must be Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) each with a minimum diameter of five mm and which are fitted in order that they are directly in the driver’s normal line of sight.
• In order to give rescue crews an immediate indication of accident severity each car must be fitted with a warning light which is connected to the FIA data logger.
• The velocity used in the frontal impact test has been increased from 14m/s to 15m/s.
• Each car must now have an emergency anti-penetration panel constructed of 6.2mm Zylon.
• An additional five kg has been added to the minimum race weight of the car to offset the emergency chassis panel.