The changes adopted by the World Council

The World Motor Sport Council met in Paris on March 17, 2009. A number of measures were adopted to help reduce costs and increase interest in the Formula 1 championship.

The two key measures relate to the points system in effect and the introduction of a budget cap.

2009 Formula 1 Regulations:

Point system

> Read the article regarding the points system

Essais

Teams will be allowed to conduct three days of testing with young drivers between the last Championship event (either November 2, the day after the Abu Dhabi race) and December 31 of the same year. Drivers are eligible only if they have participated in more than two F1 World Championship events in the last 24 months or tested a Formula 1 car for more than four days in the same 24-month period.

Teams can also conduct eight days of aerodynamic testing between January 1, 2009, and the last Grand Prix of the season.

Media – Communication

The FIA publishes the weight of all single-seaters after each qualifying session.

To improve understanding for spectators and the media, the ‘wet’ tires have been renamed ‘intermediates’ and the ‘extreme wet’ tires have been renamed ‘wet’ tires.

The first day of free practice, all drivers must be available for autograph signing in the pit lane.

All drivers eliminated in qualifying must go to the press conference room immediately after the session in which they were eliminated.

A number of other amendments have been adopted for the 2009 technical regulations. More details will be available soon on the website www.fia.com.

2010 Formula 1 Regulations:

Budgets

> Read the article about the budget cap

Authorized technical rules

1. A more efficient but standard aerodynamics under the regulation.

2. Change of fins.

3. An engine that is not subject to a limitation or freeze.

The FIA reserves the right to modify any of these elements to ensure that the capped costs are neither an advantage nor a disadvantage for the cars subject to the current regulations.