Reading: F1 Teams Agree New Rule for Tyres

Formula 1 teams have given their approval to a new rule for 2010 forcing leading drivers to start races on the same tyres that they qualified on, according to an Autosport exclusive.

The new tyres rule will add an extra strategic element to the season, which will see several dramatic changes to the regulations, all in an effort to increase the entertainment of the sport.

Other changes include no re-fuelling, smaller front tyres, a new points system and now the prospect of drivers gambling on which tyre to use in qualifying to benefit them at the start of the race.

This is what Autosport revealed in its exclusive report: “With the ban on refuelling for 2010 already forcing a big change in tactics compared to how grands prix have run in recent years, the new rule looks set to have an impact on how teams approach qualifying as well.

“Although the tweak has not yet been committed to the regulations, sources have revealed that last week’s meeting of the Sporting Working Group agreed to the change as a way of improving the show.

“It is understood that the majority of teams present voted in favour of a rule that will require the top 10 cars that make it through to the final session of qualifying to start the race on the same tyres that they set their fastest Q3 time on.

“This will open up the possibility of teams gambling on sacrificing the best possible time in Q3 by running a more consistent but less quick tyre so as to have a better chance in the race. Alternatively, teams may choose a tyre that is better over a single lap to secure a good grid position, even if it runs the risk of compromising race performance.

“The teams hope that the rule tweak will serve to mix up the tactics throughout the grid and therefore lead to more exciting races.

“The change still needs to be voted on by the Formula 1 Commission and the World Motor Sport Council next week before passing into the regulations, but this is likely to be a formality.”

Alex Kapadia, Operations Team

This entry was posted on Tuesday, January 26th, 2010 at 4:06 pm and is filed under Blogs. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.