Regulations 2015 in F1: Adoption of standing starts after safety car

The World Motor Sport Council met today in Munich. After several weeks of negotiations regarding possible measures to reduce costs, most were rejected during the F1 Commission meeting on June 18. Nevertheless, this Council resulted in several decisions.

The modifications of the sporting regulations

Regarding the power units, drivers will now be limited to 4 hybrid blocks per season, unless the season exceeds 20 races: in that case, the limit will be set at 5. This is a way to prepare for a possible increase in the number of Grand Prix, a topic frequently mentioned. Additionally, the penalty for changing a complete power unit (all six elements that make it up) will be starting from the last position on the grid.

In terms of aerodynamic tests, the time limit for wind tunnel testing will be reduced from 80 to 65 hours per week, and a reduction in the use of CFD will also be imposed. Teams will also have to designate a single wind tunnel to be used per year.

Regarding private testing, as planned, the three four-day pre-season testing sessions will be held in Europe in 2015, then reduced to two sessions in 2016. During the season, the number of two-day testing sessions will be reduced from four currently to two starting in 2015, with, on these four days, the obligation for teams to run young drivers for two days.

The Parc Fermé rules will now apply from the end of Free Practice 3, whereas the current regulation states that this period during which the car cannot be touched starts at the beginning of qualifying. Similarly, the Friday night curfew will increase from 6 to 7 hours in 2015 and to 8 hours in 2016.

The ban on tire warmers has once again, and as expected, been rejected for 2015, but the FIA statement indicates that this issue will be the subject of further discussion if wheel and tire diameters increase in the future.

Finally, the main measure is the confirmed implementation of standing starts following each intervention of the safety car. However, limitations will be imposed: no standing start if the safety car intervenes during the first two laps of the race after the initial start or after a new start, and no standing start if there are only five laps remaining at the end of the Grand Prix.

Changes to the technical regulations

The FIA statement does not specify all the changes made, but does specify four of them:

– des changements de règlementation concernant les nez, afin d’assurer à la fois leur sécurité et leur esthétique ;

– des changements de règlementation concernant les patins sous les voitures, qui seront désormais dans un matériau « plus léger » – le titane. Il s’agit surtout du dispositif mis en place et testé en Autriche par Nico Rosberg et Kimi Räikkönen visant à créer des étincelles au passage des voitures sur la piste ;

– De nouvelles règles afin d’assurer que les disques de freins tournent à la même vitesse que les roues. En effet, certaines équipes ont pu vouloir se servir de la rotation plus rapide des disques pour des questions de gains aérodynamiques ; cela ne sera donc pas permis ;

– Mise en place obligatoire d’un système de retient des roues en deux étapes, afin de sécuriser encore plus les cas dans lesquels une voiture quitte son stand alors qu’une roue n’est pas correctement fixée.