By Phil Huff
January 16 2003

Blimey! The FIA have come down hard on the teams in F1 in a bid to reduce the costs of competing, but have done so in a way that leaves the teams with no room to argue. Instead on introducing new rules, which would require unanimous agreement between all the teams, the FIA have decided that, starting immediately, they will enforce certain rules with a zero tolerance approach.

This means, for example, that traction control, launch control and automatic gearboxes could be banned by the first race as, according to Article 61 of the F1 Sporting regulations, 'The driver must drive the car alone and unaided.'

The full measures intended for introduction in 2003 are...

• Telemetry, both car-to-pit and pit-to-car is banned.
• Radio communications between the driver and pit is banned.
• Spare cars are outlawed.
• Cars impounded between qualifying and the race.
• Traction control and launch control banned.
• Automatic gearboxes banned.
• Component sharing allowed.

Further plans for 2004 and beyond include standard engine ECU's, rear wings and brakes, and long-life engines to last up to six races. The FIA have also refused to rule out supplying a single type engine for the whole grid.

As with all changes to regulations, there'll be arguments. Sauber Speak feels it extremely unlikely that the teams will be able remove traction control systems for 2003, especially as some teams, Sauber included, have already finalised and launched their 2003 challengers.

The full text of the 2003 changes from the FIA appears below. Read it, and feed back your comments through the Message Board...

1. "Under Article 61, there will be a complete ban on:
   
   
   1. telemetry from car to pit;
   2. telemetry from pit to car;
   3. radio communication between driver and pit.
   
   
2. Under Article 70, only two cars will be scrutineered per team (subject to the teams' other obligations under the Concorde Agreement, including but not limited to Clause 5.3.1).
   
   
3. Under Article 84e), spare cars will not be scrutineered (save in exceptional circumstances as authorised by the stewards) and will therefore not be used.
   
   
4. Under Article 71a), each car will be required to go into parc fermé immediately after making its second qualifying run. All cars will be released simultaneously from parc fermé shortly before the start of the race, when all checks on all cars will have been completed.
   
   
5. Under Article 61, severe constraints will be placed upon electronic (as opposed to driver) control of throttles, clutches, differentials and engine actuators. This will mean that traction control, launch control and fully automatic gear changing systems can no longer be used. Each team must be able to demonstrate compliance without software inspection (Article 2.6, FIA Formula One Technical Regulations as amended for 2003 on proposal of the teams). If it can be shown that immediate full compliance would, on balance, add to teams' costs because the start of the season is now so close, the FIA is prepared to grant a derogation for all or part of the 2003 season. However, from 2004 at the latest, the FIA will insist on full compliance with both Article 61 and the above-mentioned Article 2.6 and rely solely on physical inspection. In the absence of a satisfactory alternative proposal by the teams, the FIA believes that this will necessitate the use of standard electronic control units for both engine and drive train.
   
   
6. By way of clarification, the FIA confirms that teams which wish to do so can share components. The teams are invited to agree unanimously to delete the provision in Schedule III to the Concorde Agreement which prevents a constructor using a component (other than an engine or a gearbox) designed or manufactured by another constructor. In default of such unanimous agreement, the FIA confirms that provided a component is manufactured and designed by a separate company or other third party, there is nothing to prevent two different constructors using the same component(s) on their respective cars.
   
   
7. The FIA has confirmed that the Friday morning session will be a private test organised by the FIA together with the race promoter and is not part of the Event. Participating teams will be free to do as they wish, provided all safety precautions are observed and other participating teams are not needlessly obstructed."