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F1 Feature: What's in store for the 2008 F1 Season - Part 2

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Formula One Feature
2008 FIA Formula One World Championship
What's in store for the season - Part 2

In the first part of this two-part feature, we looked at the main changes in the FIA technical regulations for the 2008 season: the introduction of the standard electronic control (SECU) and subsequently the elimination of control systems like traction control (TC) and electronic braking system (EBS). 2008 will also see teams work to prolong the life of the gearboxes to last four consecutive grand prix weekends.

In addition to these, the coming season will also see revised sporting regulations that have been designed to reflect the move for more cost- and fuel-efficiency in the sport. In this part, we look at some of these changes and how it impacts the coming season.

From 2008, teams will start packing two chassis, minus the spare car

1. Sporting Regulations, Article 28.1
"Each competitor may have no more than two cars available for use at any one time during an Event. Any partially assembled survival cell will be deemed to be a car in this context if it is fitted with an engine, any front suspension, bodywork, radiators, oil tanks or heat exchangers."

Implication / Impact:
The inclusion of this regulation essentially means the disappearance of spare cars from team garages. This basically means one less chassis for the teams to pack to the races. Gone are the days when the drivers would jump into the spare car in the event that something went wrong with his original race car. The main idea behind this regulation change is to promote better cost-efficiency across the board, especially in view of the pace of technological advancement in Formula One has seen the trend for teams to work towards greater reliability of their cars.

2. Sporting Regulations, Article 29.1
b) "Fuel may not be added to nor removed from any car eligible to take part in Q3 between the start of Q3 and the start of the race (…)"

Implication / Impact
There have been a lot of changes to the sporting regulations on qualifying over the past few years. This season, in an effort to better regulate fuel consumption, teams will no longer be allowed to refuel between the end of qualifying and the start of the race. We will no longer see the cars in the top-10 shoot out refuel at the start of Q3 then proceed to burn the fuel off to earn "fuel credits" and given back the allocation that was burnt-off for the start of the race.

In parts, the 2008 regulation actually mirrors the 2003 regulation with the single / one-lap lap qualifying with cars required to carry the same fuel load from the qualifying for the start of the race, which could mean teams to run much shorter stints for the race.

Qualifying will now follow a 20-15-10 format from 2008

3. Sporting Regulations, Article 33: QUALIFYING PRACTICE
33.1 The qualifying practice session will take place on the day before the race from 14.00 to 15.00. The session will be run as follows:

a) From 14.00 to 14.20 (Q1) all cars will be permitted on the track and at the end of this period the slowest seven cars will be prohibited from taking any further part in the session. Lap times achieved by the seventeen remaining cars will then be deleted.
b) From 14.27 to 14.42 (Q2) the seventeen remaining cars will be permitted on the track and at the end of this period the slowest seven cars will be prohibited from taking any further part in the session. Lap times achieved by the ten remaining cars will then be deleted.
c) From 14.50 to 15.00 (Q3) the ten remaining cars will be permitted on the track. The above procedure is based upon a Championship entry of 24 cars. If 22 cars are entered only six cars will be excluded after Q1 and Q2.

Implication / Impact:
The change in the qualifying to follow a 20 - 15 - 10 format is to a large extent related to Article 29.1, both designed with the intention of eliminating wasteful fuel-burning laps in the third and final segment of qualifying we had seen in the 2007 season. Crucially, there will no longer be any pressure for the teams that qualify into the top-ten shoot out to complete the maximum number of laps for the sole purpose of earning fuel credits.

The new format will also likely make the qualifying sessions far more exciting, intensifying the competition, particularly in the knockout stages in the first two qualifying segments. Moreover, with post-qualifying refuelling eliminated, this would also mean that we will no longer see cars jostling each other to be first in line at the pitlane exit while waiting for the lights to go green.

Be it by design or by default, the regulation changes - technical and sporting - for the 2008 FIA Formula One World Championship will definitely add spice to the competition. In addition, it will be interesting to see how the teams manage the change, as athe competition becomes technically more demanding and challenging as teams seek to further improve and build on the achievements of the previous season, while at the same time ensuring they bring with them the most efficient and reliable package.

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