Anyone heard the new rules ? The same tire used in qualifying must be used in the race.......A number of changes to both the Sporting and Technical Regulations have been made by the FIA for the 2005 Formula One season.
Qualifying
The 2005 race weekend will feature one qualifying session on Saturday afternoon and another on Sunday morning.
The first session will run from 1300 to 1400 on Saturday and will, as in 2004, be single lap qualifying, with the cars going out in the reverse order of their finishing positions at the previous race.
The second session, from 1000 to 1100 on Sunday, will also use the single lap format, with the cars going out in the reverse order of the qualifying on Saturday (i.e. the fastest car on Saturday runs last on Sunday).
The cars will run on Saturday with unrestricted fuel. They will then go into parc ferme after this qualifying session and for the Sunday qualifying session they will run with race fuel, having been allowed to refuel before the second qualifying session. They will not be allowed to refuel again before the race starts.
The times of the two sessions will be aggregated to determine the grid, with the shortest aggregate time in pole position.
Tyres
Drivers will have access to far fewer tyres in 2005 and will have to make a single set last through both qualifying sessions and the entire race. A tyre can only be changed during this time if it is punctured or damaged.
On Fridays, drivers will be able to test two different dry tyre compounds. Ahead of Saturday practice they must choose one of these for the remainder of the weekend. They will then be allocated three sets of this compound – one will be used in practice, one in qualifying and the race, and one kept in reserve in case of punctures or accident damage.
These changes will require harder compounds than in 2004 and will force drivers to drive with tyre preservation in mind. The knock-on effects will be slower lap times and much-revised race strategies.
Drivers will also have access to wet and extreme-weather tyres. These can only be used when the track is declared wet by the race director.
Engines
In 2004 engines had to last one race weekend. From 2005 they must last two – equivalent to a distance of around 1,500 kilometres (close to 1000 miles). If a driver requires an engine change ahead of qualifying, he will drop ten places on the grid for that race. If an engine is changed between the start of qualifying and the race the driver will be put to the back of the grid.
In both instances the driver concerned must use his new engine for the remainder of that meeting and the entire following grand prix weekend. If a driver fails to finish a race, he may start the next meeting with a new engine without penalty.
With even greater reliability required from the engines, these changes are likely to cut rev limits and power outputs, hence reducing car performance.
Aerodynamics
Aerodynamic regulations have been dramatically revised in a bid to reduce downforce and hence cut performance. The key changes are a higher nose and front wing section, a changed rear diffuser profile, and the bringing forward of the rear wing structure.
Initial estimates suggest that the changes could cut downforce by as much as 25 percent over 2004. Designers are likely to claw much of this back as their 2005 machines evolve, but slower laps times and trickier-handling cars would seem inevitable.
Hope F1 implement Nascars rules like..same pit stop timing..and if 1 car too fast..will be flagged to slow....
