Communications

• Pit-to-car telemetry is OUT, so the engineers can’t make changes to the cars during the race (up to driver to figure out his car’s behaviour!)
• Car-to-pit telemetry remains – but is OUT from 2004
• Radio communication between team and driver ALLOWED but…
  the system must be stand-alone (i.e. not used to carry other signals) and the communication must be open and accessible to broadcasters and the FIA (i.e. they can’t give clandestine team orders!).

   Spare cars

• To be used ONLY if a race car is damaged beyond repair. Spare cars would start from pit lane.

   Work on cars

• To be severely restricted between end of qualifying and start of race. Cars to held under parc fermé conditions; work beyond a short list will require special permission.

   Driver aids

• Traction control and automatic gearboxes OUT from this year’s British Grand Prix.
• Launch control OUT at the same time provided teams can arrange manual operation of exisiting clutches.

   Friday testing

Three teams – Minardi, Jordan, Renault – have signed up for Friday morning testing at each Grand Prix. In return, they agree not to do more than 10 days’ testing elsewhere through the season.

• This means fans will see F1 cars on track for an extra two hours first thing on Friday morning.
• Teams can use a combination of their current drivers plus local or other invited drivers for those test sessions.

   Qualifying

• Will revert to one hour on each of Friday and Saturday afternoons.
• Will see each driver allowed only one flying lap in each session.
• Friday they will run in World Championship order, with World Champion Michael Schumacher first on track here in Melbourne.
• Saturday, the slowest man from Friday goes out first, the fastest man goes out last.
• Only Saturday times count towards grid position

   World Championship Points

• Instead of the existing system of 10 points for a win then 6-4-3-2-1 for the top six, the new system awards points for the first eight places.
• The new scale is 10-8-6-5-4-3-2-1.