Further
to the approval of the FIA World Motor Sport Council, a summary of the proposals for the 2008 FIA Formula One World Championship has
been distributed today to Formula One Management, race organisers, race promoters, current Formula One drivers, current Formula One
teams, engine suppliers and tyre suppliers.
Proposed detailed technical regulations for 2008 have also been distributed to the
current teams, engine suppliers and car manufacturers.
Changes to the rules for the 2008 FIA Formula One
World Championship approved by the World Motor Sport Council on 29 June 2005
Introduction Traditionally, Formula One rules have been written by the
engineers. Save in very exceptional circumstances, the Concorde Agreement (Clause 7.1) prevents anyone except the team technical
directors making technical rules. This may no longer be the best approach. A better method might be to specify what we want the
rules to achieve and only then allow the engineers to make proposals. The purpose of this note, therefore, is to suggest objectives
together with some new rules to achieve them.
Safety, fairness, keeping the current six major car manufacturers involved,
preserving the independent teams and ensuring that the public continue to enjoy Formula One are the five principal challenges for
the Formula One World Championship in 2008. Everyone is agreed on the need for the first two; the last three are more controversial.
The
need to cut costs On the face of it, costs need to be cut. We have lost two independent teams and one major manufacturer
in the last three years with no replacement in sight. However, some manufacturers are opposed to any economy measure which might
curtail technical exploration. Five of the six competing car manufacturers are very large companies. Each assumes it has the money
and technical expertise to win the Formula One World Championship alone or in partnership with an independent team. Each is
apparently prepared to spend large sums to do so.
The manufacturers’ dilemma The problem is that however
much money the six manufacturers collectively spend, only one can win, while each season one at least is going to finish with cars
in 11th and 12th places or worse. Dr Helmut Panke, Chief Executive of BMW, said recently “We are not satisfied with the sixth and
seventh places and we are in intensive discussions on how to do better”. But if all six manufacturers and their twelve cars stay
in Formula One, one of them will have to be content with sixth or seventh place each year and two or three of the remainder will be
even less successful.
The simple truth is that whether the six manufacturers collectively spend €1.5 billion or (at the
extreme) €150 million, the result will be the same. The one with the cleverest engineers, the best-managed team and the best
drivers will win, the others will fail. At the end of the season and after each race, manufacturers’ cars will be placed all the
way down to 11th and 12th and possibly worse if there are one or two good, fully independent teams. But the Championship will look
and feel the same whether €1.5 billion or (again, at the extreme) €150 million is being spent. Indeed it might be better with
€150 million, because the gap between first and last would probably be less. So, arguably, some €1.35 billion is being
completely wasted in Formula One each year by the six manufacturers.
Are costs the FIA’s business? Some say
this is no concern of the governing body; how the manufacturers spend their money is their business. But surely it is the duty of
the governing body to do what it can to keep all the manufacturers involved, indeed to try to attract new ones. Manufacturers whose
cars finish in 7th, 8th and so on, down to 12th place or below (which means at least half our current six manufacturers) are more
likely to stay if their average annual expenditure is, say, €25 million rather than €250 million.
A 90% reduction in
manufacturers’ costs without diminishing the spectacle of Formula One would probably be possible, given close and rational
collaboration with the manufacturers and teams concerned. But even without such collaboration, the FIA must at least reduce costs to
levels which independent teams can afford. If we fail, we will lose the independent teams. Should costs continue at present levels
or, worse, escalate in the next ten years at the same rate as the last ten, we risk simultaneously driving out the independent teams
and some of the less successful manufacturers. The result would be non-Formula One cars on the grid or, possibly, the collapse of
the Championship.
To be clear, in suggesting a reduction from €250 million to €25 million, we are speaking of just the
costs to a manufacturer of supplying engines to a single team. The cost of running the team must be added to this to arrive at the
total cost of putting the cars on the grid. It is extraordinary, but true, that some manufacturers are spending upwards of €250
million just to supply engines. That this could be reduced by 90% or more is evidenced by the fact that Cosworth will be able to
supply a fully competitive 2006 engine for less than €20 million and are even able to supply (to Red Bull) an engine to race and
qualify in the top ten under this year’s relatively free-spending rules, for less than one tenth of the expenditure of some major
manufacturers. It does not follow that expenditure is necessary merely because it is allowed.
A money-spending
competition? Formula One must not be allowed to become a money-spending competition. We need more emphasis on rules which
allow a clever but under-funded team to defeat a less competent but richer rival. It must not be possible simply to buy success.
This is essential for the survival of fully independent teams which rely on sponsorship and income from the commercial rights
holder. An independent team will never have the same resources as a team backed by a major car manufacturer, but they are
nevertheless an essential element of Formula One. In addition to being part of the tradition, they provide an entry point for young
drivers and team personnel and bring colour and interest to the paddock.
It is probable that rules aimed at keeping all six
manufacturers in the Championship will also make it possible for the independent teams to survive. Conversely, failure to introduce
these rules risks the simultaneous loss of the independent teams and some of the manufacturers. The case for getting costs under
control appears strong.
Resistance to cost-cutting There has been a tendency for well-funded teams to resist
cost-cutting, because the higher the costs, the smaller the number of teams which are their potential competitors. But rules which
allow too steep a slope on the curve of performance versus expenditure must eventually result in the richest team dominating and the
remainder unable to compete. This has happened in the distant past. If it were allowed to happen today, Formula One would quickly
lose its international television audience. Collapse would soon follow. Even the best funded teams should support drastic
cost-cutting in order to preserve Formula One in the medium and longer term.
Formula One has become divorced from reality. If
you ask a man in the street how many people devote their entire working lives to putting two Formula One cars on the grid 17 times a
year, he will probably reply 20 or 30, plus maybe some part-timers. The reality is about 300 for a small team and up to 1000 for a
top team, all full-time employees. Most of these highly skilled and expensive people add nothing to the spectacle or to the sporting
contest. They are working on things which the public never see and even enthusiasts are unaware of. Hundreds of talented people, all
duplicating each other’s efforts in the different teams, all to no purpose. It is difficult to justify this on any rational basis.
Dumbing
down? It is sometimes suggested that reducing the scope for expenditure in Formula One reduces its technical interest or
“dumbs it down”. The immediate question is: reduces its technical interest to whom? It may fascinate the relevant engineers that
by spending millions of Euros they can build a new gearbox with ratios that are 0.25mm thinner, but no-one else knows or cares.
There is no additional value for the watching public who, ultimately, pay for the whole thing. If we eliminate pointless (but very
expensive) engineering exercises, there will still remain huge areas of technical interest, some of which can be directly relevant
to automobile engineering. For example, a breakthrough in chassis dynamics (more probable with very low downforce) or the reduction
of engine internal losses would give a big advantage to the team which made it. It would also be more generally relevant than
generating huge levels of downforce or making an ultra-small gearbox.
Keeping the public interested If we
manage to control costs and retain a reasonable number of competing cars, we must also think about the public appeal of Formula One.
Everyone considers themselves an expert on this, but until very recently there has been no serious attempt to find out what the
public think. This is extraordinary when one remembers that the commercial success of Formula One would disappear overnight if the
public were to lose interest. We hope that the survey which the FIA is conducting in conjunction with AMD will provide an insight.
In the meantime we have taken a conventional approach and aimed at (i) closer racing through a drastic reduction in downforce
combined with significantly increased “mechanical” grip; (ii) a more competitive field by reducing costs and hence the
competitive disadvantage of the smaller teams; (iii) eliminating electronic driver aids to give greater importance to classic driver
skills. If these objectives are achieved, Formula One should at least be able to maintain its current level of popularity.
Keeping
speeds under control In addition to containing costs, we hope to contain speeds. Excessive speeds in Formula One not only
endanger the drivers, they also cause problems for the race organisers. This is because increased speeds necessitate upgrading
circuit safety measures. Safety work increases the organisers’ costs without producing any additional income. Indeed moving the
public further away from the action on track, which is increasingly necessary for safety reasons, makes spectating less attractive
and risks further reducing the organisers’ income. This is an additional reason for rules which restrict the rate of increase in
performance.
A tight schedule Once matters of principle have been decided, it becomes easier to write rules.
However, not all the manufacturers and teams have joined the discussions during the first four months of the year. The FIA cannot
continue to wait for proposals, because it is obliged to publish the 2008 Formula One Technical Regulations before the end of 2005.
In practice this means the new rules must be finalised by the fourth week of September for submission to the World Motor Sport
Council and the FIA General Assembly at the end of October. This, in turn, means we can allow the whole of July for comments from
stakeholders, but final preparation of the rules must begin internally on 1 August.
Some suggested objectives We
have prepared a first draft of the 2008 rules with the following objectives:
the rate of increase in performance of the
cars should not exceed the rate of improvement in measures to protect the public, marshals and competitors;
the rules and
the means of enforcing them should be clear so that everyone competes on the same basis;
the rules and methods of
enforcement must be sufficiently flexible to deal with unforeseen technical innovation;
costs should be contained in order
to (i) decrease the likelihood of a manufacturer leaving after poor results (ii) enable a private team to be competitive without the
support of a major manufacturer and (iii) reduce the performance deficit of the less well-funded teams;
expensive technology
which is invisible to the public and known only to a tiny band of specialist engineers should be eliminated where possible;
expensive materials or designs should not be used as a substitute for good engineering;
driver aids should be eliminated as
far as possible. In particular the use of electronic devices should not be allowed to replace driver skills;
downforce
should be drastically reduced and “mechanical” grip increased substantially for closer racing.
This, then, has
been our approach to 2008. Criticism, constructive or otherwise, is welcome. All comments received during the July consultation
period will be carefully considered when the FIA technical department finalises its proposals, which it will do in consultation with
those teams and race organisers which have indicated their intention to participate in the Formula One World Championship from 2008
onwards. We will also take full account of the results of the FIA/AMD survey of public opinion. Once finalised and approved by the
World Motor Sport Council and FIA General Assembly, the rules must be published before the end of 2005 as required by the Concorde
Agreement. Thereafter the 2008 technical regulations cannot be changed without the agreement of everyone concerned.
Changes
for 2009 will still require two years’ notice (ie publication before 31.12.2006). Thereafter notice of changes which affect the
design of the car (sporting or technical) will be announced no later than 30 June to come into force for the next-but-one season (ie
a change for 2010 will be announced before 30.6.2008).
Summary of the main changes proposed for 2008
ENGINES
All
components of the engine will be controlled by an Electronic Control Unit (ECU) which has been manufactured by an FIA designated
supplier to an agreed specification
The ECU may only be used with FIA approved software and may only be connected to the
control system wiring loom, sensors and actuators as specified by the FIA
All control sensors, actuators and FIA monitoring
sensors will be specified and homologated by the FIA
The control system wiring loom connectivity will be specified by the
FIA
A 3 litre V10 engine will remain an option for teams unable to obtain a 2.4 litre V8, but subject to similar strict
performance limitations as in 2006 and 2007
Reasons
to eliminate the use of driver aids such
as traction control
as teams will not be able to develop their own ECUs, expenditure on electronics will be
considerably reduced
to allow the FIA to check testing mileage and other elements
to keep engine costs
low for the smaller independent teams
GEARBOXES
All cars will be fitted with gear ratios, final
drive ratios and differentials which have been manufactured by an FIA designated supplier to an agreed specification
Gear
changing will only be permitted by the use of a manually operated mechanical linkage to the gearbox
Clutches will only be
operated via a foot pedal connected mechanically to a release mechanism
Reasons
to restore control
over the clutch and gear changing to the driver
the use of standard gearbox internals will result in a very
significant reduction in expenditure
BODYWORK
Downforce will be reduced to approximately 10% of
current levels
Drag will be maintained at current levels
Overall car width will be increased
By stipulating
maximum and minimum dimensions cars will be “cleaned up” with devices such as barge boards, flip ups, winglets and other small
add on parts removed
Total advertising area on the car to remain unchanged
Reasons
to
reduce the reliance upon downforce as a means of improving performance
by increasing mechanical grip the likelihood
of one car being able to follow another closely in corners, and hence be in an attacking position at the end of the following
straight, will be increased
eliminating winglets, bargeboards, etc, will reduce costs as well as the danger of debris
on the circuits
drag should remain unchanged in order to ensure straight line speeds do not increase significantly
WHEELS
AND TYRES
Tyres will be supplied by one manufacturer appointed by the FIA after an invitation to tender. Such an
appointment will be conditional upon :
a suitable supplier being available ;
a suitable system
to ensure tyre testing is carried out in an equitable manner ;
no team being disadvantaged by the appointment of a single
supplier (detailed regulations will be written to ensure this would not be the case) ;
there being no legal impediments
during the process of appointing a supplier
Slick tyres will be introduced for use in dry weather
Lower
profile tyres will be introduced
Significantly larger wheels with minimum and maximum sizes stipulated for front and rear
will be permitted
Tyre blankets and other heating devices will be prohibited
All tyre regulations will reside in the
Technical Regulations
Reasons
a single supplier would allow a bigger safety margin
the
absence of competitive tyre testing would reduce costs
as relatively small differences in tyre compound and
construction can have a significant effect on lap times, a single tyre supplier would simply ensure that no team would be adversely
affected by being contracted to the “wrong” supplier
slick tyres would be re-introduced as a part of the
low-downforce and high mechanical- grip package
lower profile tyres would be introduced in order to give the wheels
and tyres a more modern look and also permit more freedom on brakes and suspension
a ban on tyre heating devices
would eliminate this significant but unnecessary expenditure
CHASSIS
The minimum height of the
centre of gravity of the chassis will be specified
The minimum weight for a chassis will be specified
Energy of all
impact tests will be increased
Loads for all static tests will be increased
Side intrusion test requirements will be
increased
Ballast will be reduced to minimal levels
Reasons
to ensure that weight is
distributed throughout the chassis
the centre of gravity requirement should result in less pure ballast being used,
the minimum weight will have to be achieved by the construction of a stronger chassis
by raising the impact test
speeds, the static load criteria on structures such as roll hoops and increasing the penetration resistance, drivers will be even
better protected than they are at present
BRAKES
All cars will be fitted with brake discs, pads
and callipers which have been manufactured by an FIA designated supplier to an agreed specification
Reason
to
reduce the cost of continual development of new materials and designs, the FIA specified products will be designed to work on all
types of track and last an entire Grand Prix weekend
DATA ACQUISITION AND TELEMETRY
- With
specific exceptions, any data acquisition system, telemetry system or associated sensors additional to those associated with the ECU
will be physically separate and completely isolated from the control electronics
- Pit to car telemetry will be prohibited
Reasons
to
ensure that any data acquisition system used by a team cannot interfere with the FIA specified ECU and sensors
to
ensure teams are unable to send messages to a car and potentially affect its performance
MATERIALS
Limitations,
similar to those within the 2006 engine regulations, will be imposed on all parts of the car
Reason
costs
will be reduced as research into exotic materials will be unnecessary
STARTER
All cars will be
equipped with a driver operated starter which is capable of starting the car without outside assistance a minimum number of times
Reasons
to
simplify the operation of starting a car, at present it is massively complex
to give the driver a chance of starting
a car unaided in the event of it stopping on the track
to reduce the number of personnel needed at an Event and hence
reduce costs
NOTICE OF CHANGE
Notice periods for changing the rules will be related to the effect
(if any) of a change on the design of a car rather than an artificial distinction between “sporting” and “technical”
regulations. There will no longer be a distinction between changes to the engine, transmission or chassis.
Reason
to
ensure that changes may be made to the regulations in a timely and more realistic way
SPARE CARS **
Spare
cars will be prohibited, i.e. no team may have more than two built-up cars available at an Event at any one time. Spare chassis will
be permitted but precisely what constitutes a car in this context will be clearly defined
Reason
by
taking one car less to races teams will be able to save considerable sums of money as, apart from the cost of the car itself, fewer
personnel will be needed
TESTING **
Testing will be limited to 30000km per team between 1st
January and 31st December, subject to a single tyre supplier being appointed
Reason
To reduce the
enormous amounts of money currently being spent on testing
CAR ACQUISITION **
Teams will be free
to buy a complete car or any part of a car from another constructor
How constructor’s points are to be allocated will be
clearly defined after further discussion
Reason
to enable a team to buy a complete car, or any part
of a car, from another constructor. As a result teams will be able to save considerable sums of money on the design and development
of their cars
** For the purposes of the submission to the World Council these Sporting Regulations will be included
as an addendum to the draft Technical Regulations