ykickamoocow 0 Report post Posted December 28, 2006 There will be a number of rule changes in force for the start of 2007, details of all the key changes are summarised here: Single tyre supplier Bridgestone will be the sole tyre supplier in Formula 1 from 2007 to 2010. For the 2007 season, they will supply each team with identical specifications and quantities during the season. At a Grand Prix weekend, this translates to a 'hard' and a 'soft' compound. Tyres will be supplied in accordance with the revised Sporting Regulations, which provide for a total of 14 sets of dry weather tyres per driver over the race weekend: four sets for Friday only, and 10 for the rest of the weekend. Technical Regulations As is customary, the safety regulations have been further refined for 2007. These include an improved frontal crash test, the introduction of a c#ckpit GPS marshalling system which will alert drivers to on-track dangers and a new 'accident severity indicator' to indicate the severity of an accident to medical rescue crews. Voluntary Testing Agreement The Formula 1 teams have unanimously agreed to the voluntary early introduction of the testing agreement scheduled for 2008. This limits each team to an annual limit of 30,000 km (against Renault F1 Team's current annual total of around 50,000 km). Homologated Engines From 2007, Formula 1 will enter an era of minimal engine development activity. The engines used will be limited to a maximum of 19,000 rpm, and will have as their basis the V8 units that had completed the two-race cycle of China/Japan or Japan/Brazil according to engine usage cycles. These engines can be re-tuned to a limit of 19,000 rpm according to a list of modifications that must be submitted to, and approved by the FIA, by mid-December. All competitors will use V8 engines in 2007. Engine Usage The two weekends per engine formula will continue to pertain in 2007, but its application will be different. The 'race weekend' in terms of engine use will now only begin on Saturday, not Friday, thus excluding the newly-extended Friday free practice sessions. Grand Prix Friday Format The format for the Friday of Grand Prix weekends has been altered in a bid to encourage increased on-track action during this part of the race weekend. The two free practice sessions will now last for 90 minutes each rather than one hour, with race weekend timings still to be confirmed. Each team is allowed to run a maximum of two cars during these sessions, but these cars can be driven by either the race drivers or the nominated third driver. Sporting Regulations Other detail changes have been made to the Sporting Regulations concerning Safety Car protocol and the imposition of penalties by the Stewards of the Meeting (they can now impose grid position penalties in addition to time penalties). http://www.f1racing.net/en/news.php?newsID=137469 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Shane2 0 Report post Posted December 29, 2006 So the drivers can now get away with running a different engine on friday, then putting their race engine in on saturday? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
aussief1 4 Report post Posted December 29, 2006 So the drivers can now get away with running a different engine on friday, then putting their race engine in on saturday? Yes mate Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Shane2 0 Report post Posted December 29, 2006 Ah thats good, it should take some strain off their duty cycles. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
aussief1 4 Report post Posted December 29, 2006 Yep, it's good to see that the FIA have at least relaxed that stupid rule!!! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
F1 FANatic 1 Report post Posted December 29, 2006 but they still need to role it back to just one quali and race again. I liked the one race rule, but two is stretching it and it makes the drivers run so much slower at the end of the first and at the second race. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Player(1) 0 Report post Posted December 29, 2006 Got a feeling the tyres will be great, no where near as varied or optimised for each track so should be less grip from harder compounds...most exciting races of 2006 where low grip like Australia, ive no doubt who gets the best of those situations Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Shane2 0 Report post Posted December 29, 2006 If theyre using harder compounds, lap times are going to be a fair bit slower Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Player(1) 0 Report post Posted December 30, 2006 If theyre using harder compounds, lap times are going to be a fair bit slower Well the tyre war of 2006 they really pushed the limits making them as soft as possible which is why there was so much blistering/graining and durability issues but also why the times where barely effected with the smaller engines. Wouldnt make sense for Bridgestone to continue pouring in so much R&D being the only supplier so the tyres will be harder and more durable. So yea the times should be slower in 2007 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
F1 FANatic 1 Report post Posted December 30, 2006 blustering was mainly a Michieline problem, mainly because the BS tires were run at much lower camber angles Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Shane2 0 Report post Posted December 30, 2006 I see where you are both coming from, i suppose. Those hard tires caused Ferrari a lot of problems in Australia this year, so its gonna be fun next year Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
F1 FANatic 1 Report post Posted December 31, 2006 but they only cause them problems because it was too cold for the tires to heat properly. that means that everyone will have the same problem when it gets cold Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Shane2 0 Report post Posted December 31, 2006 Yeah i know, it was simply too hot for hard tyres. Having said that in australia's normal heat i feel they would still have been somewhat off the pace, but not by the same rather large margin. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ykickamoocow 0 Report post Posted December 31, 2006 Yeah i know, it was simply too hot for hard tyres. Having said that in australia's normal heat i feel they would still have been somewhat off the pace, but not by the same rather large margin. In 2006 the Australian GP was held later in the year than usual and as a result it was colder than normal which wont be the case for the 2007 Australian GP. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Shane2 0 Report post Posted December 31, 2006 Yeah i know, but if they use harder tyres they will be generally slower everywhere Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
F1 FANatic 1 Report post Posted December 31, 2006 everybody will be slower everywhere Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Player(1) 0 Report post Posted December 31, 2006 Australia is generally a low grip track anyway so wont be jumping to conclusions after the first practice session. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
alonsenna 0 Report post Posted January 1, 2007 In 2006 the Australian GP was held later in the year than usual and as a result it was colder than normal which wont be the case for the 2007 Australian GP. Last year the Australian GP was on April 2nd, 2006. In 2007 it'll be on March 18th. It's just two weeks. Is there really that much difference over there? (just wondering) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ykickamoocow 0 Report post Posted January 1, 2007 Last year the Australian GP was on April 2nd, 2006. In 2007 it'll be on March 18th. It's just two weeks. Is there really that much difference over there? (just wondering) In Australia melbourne is known as the city which can have 4 seasons in one day. This period in the yeare is very unpredictable. We could get 5 degree's celsius or we could get 40 degree's celsius. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
aussief1 4 Report post Posted January 2, 2007 Australia is generally a low grip track anyway so wont be jumping to conclusions after the first practice session. This year the track might not rubber up quickly as previous years, reason being the V8 Supercars are not racing at the GP this year. Weather this makes a massive difference time will tell. In Australia melbourne is known as the city which can have 4 seasons in one day. This period in the yeare is very unpredictable. We could get 5 degree's celsius or we could get 40 degree's celsius. to that. Ive been to the GP in Melbourne the last 5 years in a row and every year the weather is completly unpredicable not only from day to day but hour to hour!!! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Shane2 0 Report post Posted January 2, 2007 This year the track might not rubber up quickly as previous years, reason being the V8 Supercars are not racing at the GP this year. I wouldn't have really thought it would in all honesty, those races use harder rubber, and if anything they make the track loose grip not gain it. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
aussief1 4 Report post Posted January 2, 2007 I wouldn't have really thought it would in all honesty, those races use harder rubber, and if anything they make the track loose grip not gain it. I disagree Shane, I'm no professional when it comes to V8 Supercar tyres, but they tend to last about 30 - 40 laps. You can see after the V8's have had their session that the racing line is very clean with a good amount of rubber on the track. Any race car running on a street track has to be a good thing IMO. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
F1 FANatic 1 Report post Posted January 2, 2007 yea, but once regular cars drive on the street again all that built up rubber will be gone in a few days Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
aussief1 4 Report post Posted January 2, 2007 yea, but once regular cars drive on the street again all that built up rubber will be gone in a few days Yes, that's right. But we are talking about the tracks surface during the race weekend, and not the track in the weeks that follow the GP as you have alluded to!!! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Player(1) 0 Report post Posted January 2, 2007 This year the track might not rubber up quickly as previous years, reason being the V8 Supercars are not racing at the GP this year. Weather this makes a massive difference time will tell. Interesting point but I think GP2 races before the F1 races are the most influencial especially since both serious will be using bridgestone control tyres......maybe teams will experience more grip then ever before. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites