From next season, safety-car periods will be followed by a standing re-start from the grid. The move is one of a number of 2015 changes announced by Formula One racing’s governing body, the FIA, following a meeting of its World Motor Sport Council in Munich, Germany on Thursday.
Other revisions to the F1 regulations include tighter restrictions on testing, with a ban on pre-season testing outside Europe, and changes to make the cars’ noses both safer and more attractive. Drivers will be limited to four engines per season instead of five, while cars will enter parc ferme conditions from the start of final practice, rather than the start of qualifying.
The standing re-starts will replace the current rolling re-start procedure unless the safety car is used within two laps of the original race start (or a subsequent re-start), or if there are less than five laps of the race remaining.
The full statement from the FIA’s World Motor Sport Council:
FIA FORMULA ONE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
Changes to the F1 Regulations for 2015 have been agreed by the WMSC.
The last date at which the sporting and technical regulations can be changed without unanimous agreement has been changed from 30 June to 1 March each year, starting from 2015.
Changes to 2015 Sporting Regulations
Power units
- The number of engines permitted by each driver in a season will be four. However, if there are more than 20 races in a season, the number will increase to five.
- The penalty for a complete change of Power Unit will be starting from the back of the grid, not the pit lane.
Aerodynamic testing
- The number of wind tunnel runs will be reduced from 80 hours per week to 65 hours per week.
- Wind-on hours are to be reduced from 30 hours per week to 25 hours.
- Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) usage is to be reduced from 30 Teraflops to 25 Teraflops.
- Two periods of tunnel occupancy will be allowed in one day (rather than only one).
- Teams will only be able to nominate one wind tunnel in one year.
Testing
- There will be three pre-season tests of four days each in Europe in 2015 (currently teams are able to test outside Europe). This will be reduced to two tests of four days in 2016.
- There will be two in-season tests of two days each in Europe (instead of the current four). Two of these four days must be reserved for young drivers.
Car specification at an Event
The current restrictions to the parc ferme will now apply from the start of P3 instead of the start of qualifying.
Wheels and tyres
The [proposed] ban on tyre blankets will be rescinded for 2015. This will be re-discussed if and when the wheel and tyre diameter increases in the future.
Personnel Curfew
The Friday night curfew will be extended from six to seven hours in 2015 and will increase to eight hours in 2016.
Safety Car restarts
Safety Car restarts will now be a standing start from the grid. Standing starts will not be carried out if the Safety Car is used within two laps of the start (or restart) of a race or if there are less than five laps of the race remaining.
Changes to 2015 Technical Regulations
A number of changes have been made, including:
- A number of new regulations for the noses to ensure improved safety and to provide more aesthetically pleasing structures.
- A number of new regulations concerning skid blocks to ensure that they are made from a lighter material (titanium) and are better contained.
- New regulations to ensure that the brake discs rotate at the same speed as the wheels.
- A two-stage wheel fastener retaining system is now compulsory.
(source: f1.com)
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