Motorsport: F1 receives cost-cutting tune-up

The shape of the 2009 Formula One season this year is anyone's guess. The ruling body and Bernie Ecclestone have introduced a raft of changes to try and reduce the cost of the sport in hard economic times.

Chief among these was when Formula One maestro Bernie Ecclestone thought he had his wish and the 2009 F1 champion would be the driver who wins the most races, and not who has the most points. Ecclestone mooted the change last year when Lewis Hamilton won the championship on the last lap of the last race by gaining just enough points to squeeze in front of Felipe Masa, who had won more races. Points will only come into play if drivers are tied on race wins at the end of the season.

However, the breaking news just before going to press is FIA has bowed to severe pressure from the teams and has deferred its decision until 2010.

In a statement released by the governing body, it said it was prepared to defer the introduction of the system until 2010 if the teams were unhappy, with the FIA having been led to believe that the teams supported the system proposed by commercial rights holder Bernie Ecclestone.

A number of other factors have also come into play in the run up to this year's championship chase, among them Honda pulling the pin. All is not lost though as former Honda team principal, Ross Brawn, has lead a management buyout and the new team will be called Brawn GP.

The constant meddling and tweaking Ecclestone and Max Mosley have been doing to the sport has not only alienated a fair number of fans but manufacturers also. Rumours abound Renault and Red Bull are at the end of their respective tethers and may pull out in the near future, and there are rumblings about Williams' financial health.

The FIA announced its proposed solution in reducing the cost of the sport which includes strict new engine build rules, a ban on refuelling, standardised gearboxes but thankfully not standardised engines. That surely would have spelt the death knell of the sport.

A compromise was reached between the teams and Mosley where engines will cost less and last longer than existing units with rev limiters and a limit of 20 per team per season.

From 2010 independent outfits will use engines costing no more than $11.5 million per season, provided to them either by an independent supplier or by a manufacturer with a guarantee of continuity.

"Currently a manufacturer can spend anything up to $488 million a year on its engines," Mosley told BBC Radio 5 Live ahead of the WMSC meeting.

"That is unsustainable."

RULE CHANGES

The FIA has made a number of changes to the Sporting and Technical Regulations for the 2009 Formula One season, and the results of some have already been seen in testing.

In the case of the Sporting Regulations, the primary aims are increased reliability and further cost reductions. In the case of the technical changes, there are three main objectives - reducing the role of aerodynamics in the cars' performance; making overtaking easier; and keeping lap times in check.

TYRES

After 10 seasons on grooved tyres, Formula One racing returns to slicks in 2009, as part of moves to increase the emphasis on mechanical rather than aerodynamic grip.

The overall effect should be reduced performance through high-speed corners. Drivers will still have the choice of two dry tyre compounds and will still have to use both compounds during a race.

KERS

From 2009 teams have the option of employing a Kinetic Energy Recovery System (KERS) to boost their car's performance. As its name implies, a KERS recovers the (normally wasted) kinetic energy generated by the car's braking process.

This energy is stored using a mechanical flywheel or an electrical battery and made available to the driver, in set amounts per lap, via a "boost button" on the steering wheel. Under the current regulations the power gain equates to around 80 horsepower, available for just under seven seconds per lap.

ENGINES

To boost reliability still further, rev limits will be cut from 19,000 to 18,000rpm and drivers must now use the same engine for three, rather than two, consecutive events. Teams will be limited to eight engines per season - eight for each race driver and an additional four for testing. Just one team - Renault - has been allowed to make performance modifications to their engine for 2009 to help equalise power outputs.

AERODYNAMICS

Down force will be dramatically reduced and the cars' bodywork will appear much cleaner, thanks to new dimensional regulations that effectively outlaw extraneous items such as barge boards, winglets, turning vanes and chimneys.

The revisions are also designed to increase ease of overtaking by making the car less susceptible to turbulence when closely following another driver.

The most obvious changes are to the front and rear wings.

The front wing becomes lower and wider - the same width as the car - with driver-adjustable flaps.

Drivers will be allowed to make two wing adjustments per lap,
altering the wing angle over a six-degree range.

The rear wing becomes taller, bringing it level with the top of the engine cover and making it narrower.

Also at the back of the car, the diffuser has been moved rearwards, its leading edge now level with
(rather than ahead of) the rear-wheel axle line.

In addition, the diffuser has been made longer and higher, all changes that will reduce its ability to generate down force.

TESTING

Testing restrictions will be even more stringent, with none allowed for the duration of the race season.

- Additional information, Formula One