2006
• 2006 FORMULA ONE TECHNICAL REGULATIONS
• 2006 FORMULA ONE SUPPORTING REGULATIONS

2005
• 2005 FORMULA ONE SPORTING REGULATIONS

2004
• WHAT'S NEW FOR 2004 SEASON
• 2004 SPORTING REGULATIONS

2003
• FORMULA ONE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
• FIA DELEGATES
• OFFICIALS
• CHANGES OF DRIVER
• DRIVING
• CAR LIVERY
• TESTING
• PIT LANE
• SPORTING CHECKS
• SCRUTINEERING
• SUPPLY OF TYRES IN THE CHAMPIONSHIP AND TYRE LIMITATION DURING THE EVENT
• WEIGHING
• GENERAL CAR REQUIREMENTS
• SPARE CAR
• FREE PRACTICE, QUALIFYING PRACTICE AND WARM UP
• STOPPING THE PRACTICE
• THE GRID
• THE RACE
• SAFETY CAR
• STOPPING A RACE
• PRESS CONFERENCES AND DRIVERS PARADE
• RESTARTING A RACE
• FINISH
• PARC FERME
• CLASSIFICATION
• PODIUM CEREMONY
• F1 FLAGS

Third cars and Friday practice:
The private test and first qualifying sessions seen on Fridays last year have been abandoned for 2004. Instead the opening day of the Grand Prix weekend will comprise two one-hour practice sessions. In these, all teams bar Ferrari, Williams, McLaren and Renault (the top four in the 2003 constructors’ championship), will be allowed to run a third car.

The driver of the third car cannot be one of the team’s nominated drivers for that event and must be in possession of a Super License. He must also have taken part in no more than six Grands Prix in the previous two seasons. Third cars will be allowed to run in non-standard livery, paving the way for race-specific sponsorship deals.

Qualifying:
Saturday’s schedule will, as in 2003, feature two 45-minute practice sessions, which will be followed by a new two-part qualifying session, effectively 2003’s Friday and Saturday sessions back to back, with just a two-minute break in between.

In the first part of qualifying the starting order will be determined by the finishing order from the previous race, with each driver getting one timed lap. In the second part they will get another timed lap, running in the reverse order of the times set in the first part.

Refuelling will be allowed during the first part of qualifying only. As in 2003 though, set-ups and fuel loads cannot be altered between the end of the second part of the qualifying and the race.

Tyre choice:
Last year teams could wait until after Saturday practice to decide which tyres they would use for qualifying and the race. This season that crucial decision will have to be made earlier – by 0900 on Saturday morning (before first practice). The only exception will be if both Friday sessions were wet, in which case the deadline will be extended to 1300 on Saturday (after practice).

Driver Aids:
Launch control has been banned for 2004 meaning that drivers will once again have to use a clutch mechanism to get the car off the line at the start of a race. In a related move, fully-automatic gearboxes have also been outlawed, meaning drivers must make all gear changes themselves (even if those changes are clutchless, using paddles or buttons mounted on the steering wheel). Traction control remains legal.

One engine per weekend:
In a bid to cut costs, this year every driver is allowed to use only one engine over the course of the Grand Prix weekend. If his engine fails in either Friday or Saturday practice he will drop ten places on the grid from his qualifying position (for example, if he qualifies fifth, he will start from 15th). If his engine fails during qualifying he will start the race from the back of the grid.

Aerodynamic and bodywork changes:
In a move designed to reduce downforce (and hence cornering speed), this year the cars’ rear wings may feature no more than two main, horizontal elements. The end plates on either side of the rear wing have also been made bigger, as has the engine cover, allowing more space for sponsor logos.

Pit lane speed limit:
At most events the pit lane speed limit during a race will be raised from 80 to 100 kph. This will make for quicker stops and could have an important impact on teams’ strategies. For example, the opening round in Australia (where the pit lane has also been shortened) may well become a three, rather than a two, stop race.

DRIVERS
• All teams, other than those who finished in the top four positions of the previous year’s World Championship for Constructors, will be permitted to run a third driver during both free practice sessions on the first day of practice provided :

- He is not one of the team’s nominated drivers for the Event in question.
- He is in possession of a Super Licence.
- He has not been a nominated driver for a Formula One team in more than six World Championship Events during the two previous World Championships.

FIA comment: “As has been widely reported this was decided at the request of the team principals. “

CAR LIVERY
• As before both cars entered by a competitor must be presented in the same livery at each Event, but these requirements will not apply to any third car being run by a team on the first day of practice.
• So that the cars of each team may be easily distinguished from one another the on board camera of the first car must now be predominantly fluorescent red, the same camera on the second car must remain as supplied to the team (black) and any third car fluorescent yellow.

FIA comment: “This will help the quick identification of each car. Some teams drivers have very similar crash helmets and it can be difficult to distinguish them. It will help everybody, especially the marshals.

PIT LANE
• Any driver intending to start the race from the pit lane may not drive his car from his team’s designated garage area until the 15 minute signal has been given and must wait in the fast lane.

TYRE ALLOCATION
• Each driver must nominate which specification of tyre he will use for the remainder of the Event by 09.00 on the second day of practice. If both free practice sessions on the first day of practice are declared wet this decision may be deferred until 13.00.

FIA comment: “In 2003, the teams had to make their choice before the Saturday qualifying session. Now, they’ll have to choose on Friday. “

SPARE CARS
• Before the start of the second part of the qualifying practice session each driver must now nominate which two cars he intends to use for that part. If a driver then wants to change to a spare car after the start of the second part that car must carry the same fuel load as his original car.
• A car will now be deemed to have been used once the timing transponder has shown that it has left the pit lane.
• Any driver who decides to use another race car or a spare car following the qualifying practice session, and before the end of the pit lane is closed for the start of the race, must start the race from the pit lane. If this were to happen no restrictions on fuel load are applied and tyres may be changed.

FIA comment: “Before the start of the session, all teams must nominate which two cars they will use for qualifying. If they want to change, they will have to prove to us that the spare car has the same amount of fuel and of course they’ll drop 10 places on the grid for using a different engine. It’s so they can’t decide at the last minute how much fuel to put in it, having seen what someone else’s qualifying time was.”

ENGINES
• Only one engine may be used by each driver during all practice sessions and the race. If a driver uses another engine he will drop ten places on the starting grid each time one is used. Any engine change carried out after the qualifying session will result in the driver concerned starting the race from the back of the grid.
• The FIA will attach seals to each engine to ensure that no important moving parts can be rebuilt or replaced. Other than the straightforward replacement of one engine unit with another, a change will be deemed to have taken place if any of these seals are damaged or removed from the original engine.

FIA comment: “When this rule was first discussed, there was not much support for it from some teams. Eventually the Formula 1 Commission agreed that it was a good idea and since then, it has gathered significant support. Precisely how an engine is sealed will depend on its layout, but typically we will link the cam covers to the cylinder heads, and the sump to the block. All the 2004 engines are different, but having inspected them, we’re confident that the regulations cannot be broken.”

GENERAL SAFETY
• Fuel may not be added to or removed from a car between the start of the second part of the qualifying practice session and the start of the race. The only exceptions are i) cars forced to abort their qualifying run if the session is stopped, which may be refuelled before a new qualifying attempt and ii) any adjustment to the fuel level when a spare car is used.
• No connection may be made to the fuel system of the car between the start of the second part of the qualifying practice sessions and the start of the race.
• Race refuelling systems may now be used during the first part of the qualifying session and in the two minute interval between the sessions.
• The pit lane speed limit for qualifying and race has been raised from 80 to 100km/h.
• Other than by driving on the track, teams may not attempt to alter the grip of any part of the track surface.

FIA comment: “The most important change is the second point. We had many discussions with the teams about what they were doing when we allowed them to attach a fuel cooler in parc fermé. Some teams said, “How do you know somebody is not changing the amount of fuel in the car at the same time ?”. We were very confident because we knew how much fuel the cars had before and how much they had after. But now that coolers have been prohibited we should see an end to the problem. Another change: the new speed limit in the pitlane should encourage more pit stops. We think it will make the difference on some circuits between a 2 and 3 stop strategy. “

FREE PRACTICE
• Free practice sessions will now take place :
- On the first day of practice from 11.00 to 12.00 and from 14.00 to 15.00.
- On the second day of practice from 10.00 to 10.45 and from 11.15 to 12.00 (from 09.00 to 09.45 and from 10.15 to 11.00 during Events taking place in North America).

FIA comment: “The team principals decided what they wanted to do for qualifying. This was their proposal. Free practice is back to were it used to be on Friday and a later start on Saturday. The teams feel that 9 o’clock was too early and there were no spectators.”

QUALIFYING PRACTICE
• In 2004, the Friday and Saturday quailfying session from 2003 will be run together in one continuous session on Saturday afternoon.

• The session will take place the day before the race commencing at 14.00 (at 13.00 during Events taking place in North America). It will have two parts which are separated by two minutes and will be run as follows :
- During the first part each driver will carry out a single timed lap starting in the order they were classified in at the end of the previous race. Any drivers who were not classified will be arranged according to the number of laps they completed during the previous race, the one with the highest number going first. At the first race of the year the order of the last race of the previous year’s World Championship will be used and, in all cases, any new drivers will be arranged in numerical order.
- The first part will be deemed to have finished when the last car in sequence enters the pit lane. If the last car fails to leave the pit lane, stops on the circuit or comes back to the pits before completing three laps, the second part will start five minutes after the previous car was due to leave the pit lane.
- The running order for the second part will be determined by the times achieved in the first part with the slowest driver going first.
- If more than one car fails to record a time during the first part of the session they will start the second part in first part order reversed.
- If two or more drivers set identical times during the first part priority will be given to the one who set it first.
- If a car stops on the track in the first part it may not be used during the second part, if the car is brought back to the pits before the end of the session it must remain in parc fermé until the end of the session.
- If more than one car fails to record a time during the second part they will start the race in second part order reversed.
• The following procedure will be used during both parts of the qualifying practice session :
- Each driver will be given one minute to join the track, this will be signalled by the light at the end of the pit lane turning green.
- As each driver crosses the Line to start his flying lap, other than those 5th, 10th and 15th in sequence, the light at the end of the pit lane will be turned green for one minute for the following driver.
- The light for the 6th, 11th and 16th cars in sequence will be turned green for one minute two minutes after the previous driver crosses the Line to complete his flying lap.
- Any driver failing to leave the pit lane in the allotted minute will not be permitted to take any further part in that part of the qualifying practice session.

FIA comment: “Again, just to be clear, this really was something that the team principals discussed at length in their own meetings and came to us and said this is what we think. And we said, fine, why not? There were some small detailed discussions but it was quite an easy process. The new starting order in the first qualifying session was decided to make it less predictable. Also, the timing of the whole qualifying session will be tightened up. So, when a car crosses the line for its flying lap, the light in the pitlane will be green immediately. “

POST QUALIFYING PARC FERMÉ
• After weighing during the first part of the qualifying practice session, and any further random checks deemed necessary by the FIA technical delegate have been carried out, cars will be returned to the relevant team.
• After weighing during the second part of the qualifying practice session, cars will then be moved to the parc fermé.
• Every car which took part in the second part of the qualifying practice session, or was intended for use during that part of the session (in the event of a driver failing to leave the pit lane), will be required in parc fermé. Any car which failed to leave the pit lane during the second part of the session must be taken by the team to the parc fermé immediately.
Each car will be deemed to be in parc fermé from the time at which the light at the end of the pit lane turns green for the start of its qualifying run in the second part of the session until the green lights are illuminated at the start of the formation lap which immediately precedes the first start of the race.
• The remainder of the parc fermé regulations remain exactly as they were during the 2003 season.

TECHNICAL REGULATIONS

BODYWORK :
The 2004 cars will use bigger engine covers. The rear wing endplates are now 600mm instead of 500mm previously. Also, the number of upper elements of the rear wing is limited to two.

FIA comment: “The increase in size is to provide more space for sponsors without significantly affecting performance. Limiting the upper wing elements to two reduces the aerodynamic potential of the wing assembly.

WHEEL TETHERS
Each complete cable restraint system, including their attachments, must now :

- have a minimum tensile strength of 70kN;
- utilise flexible cables each with a diameter greater than 9.5mm;
- each cable must also be capable of absorbing more than 900J.

FIA comment: “The diameter of the wheel tethers has been increased from 8mm to 9.5mm. This is to get more energy absorption. It’s not as far as we intend to go, but we think the amount of energy that the wheel tether can absorb in now as much as four times higer than before. So hopefully, we’ve made a step in the right direction there. “

BRAKE DUCTS
Air ducts for the purpose of cooling the front and rear brakes shall not protrude beyond :

- a plane parallel to the ground situated at a distance of 160mm above the horizontal centre line of the wheel
- - a plane parallel to the ground situated at a distance of 160mm below the horizontal centre line of the wheel ;

FIA comment: “Brake ducts can be slightly bigger. We had a silly situation where we allowed 140mm above and below the centre line and that meant the brake ducts had to be cut. And there were all sorts of discussions about the small remaining area. Was it a brake duct, was it this, was it that? Was it an aerodynamic advantage ? We just decided to increase the ducts’ dimensions from 140 to 160 to avoid any further discussions. “

HEAD AND NECK SUPPORTS
No HANS device worn by the driver may be less than 25mm from any structural part of the car when he is seated in his normal driving position.

CRASH TESTS
Minor changes to the crash test regulations to make sure that the nose and the rear impact structures that get crash tested are the ones that were subjected to the push-off test earlier on.

FIA comment: “Before, we said these elements had to be similar. Now, we want to make sure they are the actual ones. You put the nose on the car, the FIA do a push-off test and then an impact test, so that we know the part can do both. It’s a detail that came up last year. The order of the tests has also been more clearly stipulated because the teams had what they call a reference chassis – one chassis gets tested to higher loads than the rest - and they were testing the other chassis first, then thinking, which one’s going to be our reference ? It’s now got to be the first one and that’s the end of the matter.”

FUEL
The sulphur content must not exceed 10ppm, in order to comply with the 2008 European regulation.

FIA comment: “Everyone actually did it last year anyway. That was voluntary but now it’s in the regulations.”

FIA DELEGATES
1) For each Event the FIA will nominate the following delegates: safety delegate; medical delegate; technical delegate; press delegate, and may nominate a representative of the President of the FIA; an observer, a stewards advisor, a safety car driver and a medical car driver.

2) The role of the FIA delegates is to help the officials of the Event in their duties, to see within their fields of competence that all the regulations governing the Championship are respected, to make any comments they judge necessary and to draw up any necessary reports concerning the Event.

3) The technical delegate nominated by the FIA will be responsible for scrutineering and will have full authority over the national scrutineers.

OFFICIALS
1) The following officials will be nominated by the FIA :
- Two stewards, one of whom will be nominated chairman, from among holders of the FIA Super Licence of nationality different to that of the organiser ;
- A race director ;
- A permanent starter.

2) The following officials will be nominated by the ASN from among holders of an FIA Super Licence, and their names sent to the FIA at the same time as the application to organise the Event :
- One steward from among the ASN's nationals.
- The clerk of the course.

3) The clerk of the course shall work in permanent consultation with the race director. The race director shall have overriding authority in the following matters and the clerk of the course may give orders in respect of them only with his express agreement :
a) the control of practice and the race, adherence to the timetable and, if he deems it necessary, the making of any proposal to the stewards to modify the timetable in accordance with the Code or Sporting Regulations,
b) the stopping of any car in accordance with the Code or Sporting Regulations,
c) the stopping of practice or the race in accordance with the Sporting Regulations if he deems it unsafe to continue and ensuring that the correct restart procedure is carried out,
d) the starting procedure,
e) the use of the safety car.

4) The race director, the clerk of the course and the technical delegate must be present at the Event from 10.00 on the day of initial scrutineering and the stewards from 15.00 on the same day.

5) The race director must be in radio contact with the clerk of the course and the chairman of the stewards at all times when cars are permitted to run on the track. Additionally, the clerk of the course must be in race control and in radio contact with all marshal's posts during these times.

CHANGES OF DRIVER
During a season, each team will be permitted one driver change for their first car and will be permitted to have three drivers for their second car who may be changed at any time provided that any driver change is made in accordance with the Code and before the start of the first qualifying practice. After 16.00 on the day of scrutineering, a driver change may only take place with the consent of the stewards. In all other circumstances, competitors will be obliged to use the drivers they nominated at the time of entering the Championship except in cases of force majeure which will be considered separately. Any new driver may score points in the Championship.<.p>

DRIVING
The driver must drive the car alone and unaided.

CAR LIVERY
1) The provisions of the Code relating to national colours shall not apply to the Championship.
Both cars entered by a competitor must be presented in substantially the same livery at each Event, any change to this livery during a Championship season may only be made with the agreement of the Formula One Commission. In order that the first car of each Team may be easily distinguished from the second whilst they are on the track, the on board camera located above the principle roll structure of the first car must incorporate parts which are the same colour as the main livery of the car. The same camera on the second car must remain as supplied to the Team.

2) Each car will carry the race number of its driver (or his replacement) as published by the FIA at the beginning of the season. When a car is shown on a 25 cm television monitor in such a way as substantially to fill the screen in at least one dimension, its race number must be clearly visible from the front of the car.

3) The name or the emblem of the make of the car must appear on the front of the nose of the car and in either case be at least 25mm in its largest dimension. The name of the driver must also appear on the bodywork, on the outside of the cockpit, or on the driver's helmet and be clearly legible.

TESTING
a) No testing is permitted at sites which are not currently approved for use by Formula 1 cars. In order to ensure that venue licence conditions are respected at all times during testing, Competitors are required to inform the FIA of their test schedule in order that an observer may be appointed if deemed necessary.
b) During all Formula One testing :
- red flag procedures must be respected ;
- no other type of vehicle is permitted on the track ;
- every reasonable effort should be made to ensure that the recommendations concerning emergency services detailed in Article 16 of Appendix H to the Code are followed.

PIT LANE
For the avoidance of doubt and for description purposes, the pit lane shall be divided into two lanes.

a)The lane closest to the pit wall is designated the "fast lane", and the lane closest to the garages is designated the "inner lane". Other than when cars are at the pit exit under Articles 135 or 158, the inner lane is the only area where any work can be carried out on a car.

b) Other than tyre rubber left when cars leave their pit stop position, Competitors may not attempt to enhance the grip of the surface in the pit lane unless a problem has been clearly identified and a solution agreed by the FIA Safety Delegate.

c) Competitors must not paint lines on any part of the pit lane.

d) No equipment may be left in the fast lane. A car may enter or remain in the fast lane only with the driver sitting in the car behind the steering wheel in his normal position, even when the car is being pushed.

e) Team personnel are only allowed in the pit lane immediately before they are required to work on a car and must withdraw as soon as the work is complete.

f) It is the responsibility of the Competitor to release his car after a pit stop only when it is safe to do so.

SPORTING CHECKS
1) At the first Event of each Championship, the FIA will check all licences.

SCRUTINEERING
1) Initial scrutineering of the car will take place three days (Monaco : four days) before the race between 10.00 and 16.00 in the garage assigned to each team.

2) Unless a waiver is granted by the stewards, competitors who do not keep to these time limits will not be allowed to take part in the Event.

3) No car may take part in the Event until it has been passed by the scrutineers.

4) The scrutineers may :
a) check the eligibility of a car or of a competitor at any time during an Event,
b) require a car to be dismantled by the competitor to make sure that the conditions of eligibility or conformity are fully satisfied,
c) require a competitor to pay the reasonable expenses which exercise of the powers mentioned in this Article may entail, d) require a competitor to supply them with such parts or samples as they may deem necessary.

5) Any car which, after being passed by the scrutineers, is dismantled or modified in a way which might affect its safety or call into question its eligibility, or which is involved in an accident with similar consequences, must be re-presented for scrutineering approval. 6) The race director or the clerk of the course may require that any car involved in an accident be stopped and checked.

7) Checks and scrutineering shall be carried out by duly appointed officials who shall also be responsible for the operation of the parc fermé and who alone are authorised to give instructions to the competitors.

8) The stewards will publish the findings of the scrutineers each time cars are checked during the Event. These results will not include any specific figure except when a car is found to be in breach of the Technical Regulations.

SUPPLY OF TYRES IN THE CHAMPIONSHIP AND TYRE LIMITATION DURING THE EVENT
1) Supply of tyres :
a) Any tyre company wishing to supply tyres to Formula One Teams must notify the FIA of its intention to do so no later than 1 January preceding the year during which such tyres will be supplied. Any tyre company wishing to cease the supply of tyres to Formula One Teams must notify the FIA of its intention to do so no later than 1 January of the year preceding that in which such tyres were to be supplied.
b) No tyre may be used in the Championship unless the company supplying such tyre accepts and
adheres to the following conditions :
- one tyre supplier present in the Championship : this company must equip 100% of the entered teams on ordinary commercial terms ;
- two tyre suppliers present : each of them must, if called upon to do so, be prepared to equip up to 60% of the entered teams on ordinary commercial terms ;
- three or more tyre suppliers present : each of them must, if called upon to do so, be prepared to equip up to 40% of the entered teams on ordinary commercial terms ;
- each tyre supplier must undertake to provide no more than two specifications of dry-weather tyre to each Team at each Event, each of which must be of one homogenous compound ;
- each tyre supplier must undertake to provide no more than one specification of wet-weather tyre at each Event which must be of one homogenous compound ;
- if, in the interests of maintaining current levels of circuit safety, the FIA deems it necessary to reduce tyre grip, it shall introduce such rules as the tyre suppliers may advise or, in the absence of advice which achieves the FIA's objectives, specify the maximum permissible contact areas for front and rear tyres.

2) Quantity and type of tyres :
a) During the Event no driver may use more than forty dry-weather tyres and twenty eight wet-weather tyres. From the forty dry-weather tyres each driver will be allocated twelve (six front and six rear) for use on the first day of practice, these tyres may not be used at any other time during the Event. No more than eight (four front and four rear) of the twelve tyres allocated for the first day of practice may be of one specification. Before the second qualifying practice begins each driver must nominate which specification of tyre he will use for the remainder of the Event.
b) All dry-weather tyres must incorporate circumferential grooves square to the wheel axis and around the entire circumference of the contact surface of each tyre.
c) Each front dry-weather tyre, when new, must incorporate 4 grooves which are :
- arranged symmetrically about the centre of the tyre tread ;
- at least 14mm wide at the contact surface and which taper uniformly to a minimum of 10mm at the lower surface ;
- at least 2.5mm deep across the whole lower surface ;
- 50mm (+/- 1.0mm) between centres.
Furthermore, the tread width of the front tyres must not exceed 270mm.
d) Each rear dry-weather tyre, when new, must incorporate 4 grooves which are:
- arranged symmetrically about the centre of the tyre tread ;
- at least 14mm wide at the contact surface and which taper uniformly to a minimum of 10mm at the lower surface ;
- at least 2.5mm deep across the whole lower surface;
- 50mm (+/- 1.0mm) between centres.
The measurements referred to in c) and d) above will be taken when the tyre is fitted to a wheel and inflated to 1.4 bar.
e) A wet-weather tyre is one which has been designed for use on a wet or damp track. All wet-weather tyres must, when new, have a contact area which does not exceed 280cm² when fitted to the front of the car and 440cm² when fitted to the rear. Contact areas will be measured over any square section of the tyre which is normal to and symmetrical about the tyre centre line and which measures 200mm x 200mm when fitted to the front of the car and 250mm x 250mm when fitted to the rear. For the purposes of establishing conformity, only void areas which are greater than 2.5mm in depth will be considered. Prior to use at an Event, each tyre manufacturer must provide the technical delegate with a full scale drawing of each type of wet-weather tyre intended for use. With the exception of race day, wet-weather tyres may only be used after the track has been declared wet by the race director and, during the remainder of the relevant session, the choice of tyres is free.
f) Tyre specifications will be determined by the FIA no later than 1 September of the previous season. Once determined in this way, the specification of the tyres will not be changed during the Championship season without the agreement of the Formula One Commission.

3) Control of tyres :
a) All tyres which are to be used at an Event will be marked with a unique identification.
b) From among the twenty-eight dry-weather tyres available to each driver following the first day of practice, the FIA technical delegate will choose at random sixteen tyres (eight front and eight rear) which are the only dry-weather tyres which such car may use in qualifying practice.
c) At any time during an Event, and at his absolute discretion, the FIA technical delegate may select the dry-weather tyres to be used by any Team from among the total stock of tyres which such Team's designated supplier has present at the Event.
d) A competitor wishing to replace one unused tyre by another unused one must present both tyres to the FIA technical delegate.
e) The use of tyres without appropriate identification is strictly forbidden.

4) Wear of tyres :
The Championship will be contested on grooved tyres. The FIA reserve the right to introduce at any time a method of measuring remaining groove depth if performance appears to be enhanced by high wear or by the use of tyres which are worn so that the grooves are no longer visible.

WEIGHING
During each qualifying practice session cars will be weighed as follows :

a) the FIA will install weighing equipment in an area as close to the first pit as possible, this area will be used for the weighing procedure ;

b) cars will be selected at random to undergo the weighing procedure. The FIA technical delegate will inform the driver by means of a red light at the pit entrance that his car has been selected for weighing ;

c) having been signalled (by means of a red light), that his car has been selected for weighing, the driver will proceed directly to the weighing area and stop his engine ;

d) the car will then be weighed and the result given to the driver in writing ;

e) if the car is unable to reach the weighing area under its own power it will be placed under the exclusive control of the marshals who will take the car to be weighed ;

f) a car or driver may not leave the weighing area without the consent of the FIA technical delegate;

g) if a car stops on the circuit and the driver leaves the car, he must go to the weighing area immediately on his return to the pits in order for his weight to be established.

h) After the race each car crossing the Line will be weighed. If a driver wishes to leave his car before it is weighed he must ask the technical delegate to weigh him in order that this weight may be added to that of the car.

i) The relevant car may be excluded should its weight be less than that specified in Article 4.1 of the Technical Regulations when weighed under a) or b) above, save where the deficiency in weight results from the accidental loss of a component of the car.

j) No solid, liquid, gas or other substance or matter of whatsoever nature may be added to, placed on, or removed from a car after it has been selected for weighing or has finished the race or during the weighing procedure. (Except by a scrutineer when acting in his official capacity).

k) Only scrutineers and officials may enter the weighing area. No intervention of any kind is allowed there unless authorised by such officials.

l) Any breach of these provisions for the weighing of cars may result in the exclusion of the relevant car.

GENERAL CAR REQUIREMENTS
1) Electromagnetic radiation between 2.0 and 2.7GHz is forbidden save with the written consent of the
FIA.

2) Accident data recording :
a) Each car must be fitted with an FIA accident data recorder during each Event and during all tests which are attended by more than one Team. Teams must use their best endeavours to ensure that the recorder is in working order at all times. The only purpose of these units is to monitor, record or control one or more of the following :
- data relevant to an accident or incident ;
- a deceleration warning light on board the car ;
- a lap trigger ;
- the driver input signal used to initiate the propulsion of the car at the start of a race.
b) At any time following an accident or incident competitors must make the data recorder available and
accessible to the FIA. A representative of the Team concerned may be present when data relevant to an accident or incident is being uploaded from the recorder. A copy of the data will be made available to the Team.
c) Any conclusions as to the cause of an accident, or any data relevant to an accident, may only be published in the form of a report which has been agreed between the Team concerned and the FIA.

SPARE CAR
1) A competitor may use several cars for practice and the race provided that :
a) he has no more than four cars available for use at any one time :
b) he uses no more than two cars for free practice sessions on each of the two practice days held under
Article 113 a) and b) ;
c) he uses no more than three cars during each qualifying practice;
d) they are all of the same make and were entered in the Championship by the same competitor,
e) they have been scrutineered in accordance with these Sporting Regulations,
f) each car carries its driver's race number.

2) No change of car is permitted after the start of the race. Any driver wishing to change car must have
got out of his original car and left the grid before the 15 second signal which immediately precedes the start.

3) A change of car will be deemed to have taken place once a driver is seated in his new car and such
changes may only take place in the pit lane.

FREE PRACTICE, QUALIFYING PRACTICE AND WARM UP
1) Save where these Sporting Regulations require otherwise, pit and track discipline and safety measures
will be the same for all practice sessions as for the race.

2) No driver may start in the race without taking part in a qualifying practice session.

3) During all practices there will be a green and a red light at the pit exit. Cars may only leave the pit lane when the green light is on. Additionally, a blue flag and/or a flashing blue light will be shown at the pit exit to warn drivers leaving the pits if cars are approaching on the track.

4) During the Event, the circuit shall not be used for any purpose other than the Event except after all practice has finished on each day and during the period beginning after the free practice on race day and ending 60 minutes before the pit lane is opened or at other times with the written consent of the FIA.

5) Free practice sessions will take place :
a) Two days (Monaco : three days) before the race from 11.00 to 12.00.
b) The day before the race from 09.00 to 09.45 and from 10.15 to 11.00.

6) Qualifying practice sessions will take place :
a) Two days (Monaco : three days) before the race from 14.00 to 15.00. During this session each driver will be permitted to complete only one timed lap and will leave the pit lane to complete this lap in the order of the current driver’s World Championship standings (at the first Event of the 2003 World Championship this order will be determined by the finishing order of the 2002 Championship with new drivers being arranged in numerical order). The times at which cars will be permitted to leave the pits during this session will be arranged in order that each driver is able to complete his single timed lap whilst no other car is on the track.
b) The day before the race from 14.00 to 15.00. During this session each driver will be permitted to complete only one timed lap and will leave the pit lane to complete this lap in the reverse order of times achieved during the first qualifying session (the slowest driver going first). The times at which cars will be permitted to leave the pits during this session will again be arranged in order that each driver is able to complete his single timed lap whilst no other car is on the track.

7) Warm Up : a free practice session will take place the day before the race from 13.30 to 13.45. 8) The interval between the free and second qualifying practice session may never be less than 1 hour and 30 minutes. Only in the most exceptional circumstances can a delay in free practice or other difficulty on race morning result in a change to the starting time of the race.

9) If a car stops during practice it must be removed from the track as quickly as possible so that its presence does not constitute a danger or hinder other competitors. If the driver is unable to drive the car from a dangerous position, it shall be the duty of the marshals to assist him. In the event of a driving infringement during practice, the Stewards may delete any qualifying times from the driver concerned. In this case, a Team will not be able to appeal against the steward's decision.

10) The clerk of the course may interrupt practice as often and for as long as he thinks necessary to clear the track or to allow the recovery of a car. In the case of free practice only, the clerk of the course with the agreement of the stewards may decline to prolong the practice period after an interruption of this kind. Furthermore if, in the opinion of the stewards, a stoppage is caused deliberately, the driver concerned may have his times from that session cancelled and may not be permitted to take part in any other practice session that day.

11) On the second day of practice, all cars abandoned on the circuit during the first free practice session will be brought back to the pits prior to the start of the second and may be used in that session. No part of a car abandoned in the parc fermé or on the track may be used until the car is returned to the garage of the relevant Team.

12) Should one or more sessions be thus interrupted, no protest can be accepted as to the possible effects of the interruption on the qualification of drivers admitted to start.

13) All laps covered during the second qualifying practice will be timed to determine the driver's position at the start in accordance with Article 127. With the exception of a lap on which a red flag is shown each time a car leaves the pit lane or crosses the Line it will be deemed to have completed one lap.

STOPPING THE PRACTICE
Should it become necessary to stop the practice because the circuit is blocked by an accident or because weather or other conditions make it dangerous to continue, the clerk of the course shall order a red flag and the abort lights to be shown at the Line. Simultaneously, red flags will be shown at all marshal posts. When the signal is given to stop, all cars shall immediately reduce speed and proceed slowly back to their respective pits, and all cars abandoned on the track will be removed to a safe place. At the end of each practice session all drivers may cross the Line only once.

PRESS CONFERENCES AND DRIVERS PARADE
The FIA press delegate will choose a maximum of five drivers who must attend a press conference in the media centre for a period of one hour at 15.00 on the day before first practice. At Events taking place in North or South America this press conference will take place at 11.00. These drivers' Teams will be notified no less than 48 hours before the conference. In addition, a maximum of two Team personalities may be chosen by the FIA press delegate to attend this press conference. On the first day of practice, a minimum of three and a maximum of six drivers and/or team personalities, (other than those who attended the press conference on the previous day and subject to the consent of the team principal) will be chosen by ballot or rota by the FIA press delegate during the Event and must make themselves available to the media for a press conference in the media centre for a period of one hour at 15.00. No driver may enter into a contract which restricts his right to talk to any representative of the media during an event. It shall be the duty of each Team to ensure that their drivers do not unreasonably refuse to speak to any representative of the media during the Event.

Immediately after the second qualifying practice the first three drivers in qualifying will be required to make themselves available for television interviews in the unilateral room and then attend a press conference in the media centre for a maximum period of 30 minutes.

Two hours and forty five minutes before the race all drivers must attend a drivers parade, Competitors will be given details of the parade by the Press Delegate.

THE GRID
1) At the end of the second qualifying practice, the fastest time achieved by each driver during that session will be officially published (see Article 51).

2) The grid will be drawn up in the order of the fastest time achieved by each driver in the second qualifying practice session. Should two or more drivers have set identical times, priority will be given to the one who set it first.

3) The fastest driver will start the race from the position on the grid which was the pole position in the previous year or, on a new circuit, has been designated as such by the FIA safety delegate.

4) Any driver whose best lap from the second qualifying practice exceeds 107% of the pole position time will not be allowed to take part in the race. Under exceptional circumstances however, which may include setting a suitable lap time in another practice session, the stewards may permit the car to start the race. Should there be more than one driver accepted in this manner, their order will be determined by the stewards. In either case, a Team will not be able to appeal against the stewards' decision.

5) The starting grid will be published four hours before the race. Any competitor whose car(s) is (are) unable to start for any reason whatsoever (or who has good reason to believe that their car(s) will not be ready to start) must inform the clerk of the course accordingly at the earliest opportunity and, in any event, no later than 45 minutes before the start of the race. If one or more cars are withdrawn the grid will be closed up accordingly. The final starting grid will be published 45 minutes before the start of the race.

6) The grid will be in a staggered 1 x 1 formation and the rows on the grid will be separated by 16 metres.

7) Any car which has not taken up its position on the grid by the time the ten minute signal is shown will not be permitted to do so and must start from the pits in accordance with Article 135.

THE RACE
1) Team orders which interfere with a race result are prohibited.

2) A race will not be stopped in the event of rain unless the circuit is blocked or it is dangerous to continue (see Article 154).

3) If a car stops during the race (except under Article 143c) and d), it must be removed from the track as quickly as possible so that its presence does not constitute a danger or hinder other competitors. If the driver is unable to drive the car from a dangerous position, it shall be the duty of the marshals to assist him. If any such assistance results in the engine starting and the driver rejoining the race, the car will be excluded from the results of the race.

4) During the race, drivers leaving the pit lane may only do so when the pit exit light is green and on their own responsibility, a marshal with a blue flag, or a flashing blue light, will also warn the driver if cars are approaching on the track.

SAFETY CAR
a) The FIA safety car will be driven by an experienced circuit driver. It will carry an FIA observer capable of recognising all the competing cars, who is in permanent radio contact with race control.

b) 30 minutes before the race start time the safety car will take up position at the front of the grid and remain there until the five minute signal is given. At this point (except under n) below) it will cover a whole lap of the circuit and enter the pit lane.

c) The safety car may be brought into operation to neutralise a race upon the decision of the clerk of the course. It will be used only if competitors or officials are in immediate physical danger but the circumstances are not such as to necessitate stopping the race.

d) When the order is given to deploy the safety car, all observer's posts will display waved yellow flags and a board "SC" which shall be maintained until the intervention is over.

e) During the race, the safety car with its orange lights on, will start from the pit lane and will join the track regardless of where the race leader is.

f) All the competing cars will form up in line behind the safety car no more than 5 car lengths apart. All overtaking on the track is forbidden (except under o) below), unless a car is signalled to do so from the safety car.

g) When ordered to do so by the clerk of the course the observer in the car will use a green light to signal to any cars between it and the race leader that they should pass. These cars will continue at reduced speed and without overtaking until they reach the line of cars behind the safety car.

h) The safety car shall be used at least until the leader is behind it and all remaining cars are lined up behind him. Once behind the safety car, the race leader must keep within 5 car lengths of it (except under j) below) and all remaining cars must keep the formation as tight as possible.

i) While the safety car is in operation, competing cars may stop at their pit, but may only rejoin the track when the green light at the pit exit is on. It will be on at all times except when the safety car and the line of cars following it are about to pass or are passing the pit exit. A car rejoining the track must proceed at reduced speed until it reaches the end of the line of cars behind the safety car.

j) When the clerk of the course calls in the safety car, it must extinguish its orange lights, this will be the signal to the drivers that it will be entering the pit lane at the end of that lap. At this point the first car in line behind the safety car may dictate the pace and, if necessary, fall more than five car lengths behind it. As the safety car is approaching the pit entrance the yellow flags and SC boards at the observer's posts will be withdrawn and waved green flags will be displayed for no more than one lap.

k) When the safety car has pulled off the circuit and the cars are approaching the Line, green lights will be shown. Overtaking remains strictly forbidden until the cars pass the green light at the Line unless a car slows with an obvious problem.

l) Each lap completed while the safety car is deployed will be counted as a race lap.

m) If the race is stopped under Article 155 Case C, the safety car will take the chequered flag and all cars able to do so must follow it into the pit lane and into the parc fermé.

n) If the race ends whilst the safety car is deployed it will enter the pits at the end of the last lap and the cars will take the chequered flag as normal without overtaking.

o) In exceptional circumstances the race may be started behind the safety car. In this case, at any time before the one minute signal its orange lights will be turned on. This is the signal to the drivers that the race will be started behind the safety car. When the green lights are illuminated the safety car will leave the grid with all cars following in grid order no more than 5 car lengths apart. There will be no formation lap and race will start when the leading car crosses the Line for the first time.

Overtaking, during the first lap only, is permitted if a car is delayed when leaving its grid position and cars behind cannot avoid passing it without unduly delaying the remainder of the field. In this case, drivers may only overtake to re-establish the original starting order.

Any driver who is delayed leaving the grid may not overtake another moving car if he was stationary after the remainder of the cars had crossed the Line, and must form up at the back of the line of cars behind the safety car. If more than one driver is affected, they must form up at the back of the field in the order they left the grid.

A time penalty will be imposed on any driver who, in the opinion of the Stewards, unnecessarily overtook
another car during the first lap.

STOPPING A RACE
1) Should it become necessary to stop the race because the circuit is blocked by an accident or because weather or other conditions make it dangerous to continue, the clerk of the course shall order a red flag and the abort lights to be shown at the Line. Simultaneously, red flags will be shown at all marshal posts.

When the signal is given to stop all cars shall immediately reduce speed in the knowledge that :
- the race classification will be that at the end of the lap two laps prior to that during which the signal to stop the race was given,
- race and service vehicles may be on the track,
- the circuit may be totally blocked because of an accident,
- weather conditions may have made the circuit undriveable at racing speed,
- the pit lane will be open.

2) The procedure to be followed varies according to the number of laps completed by the race leader before the signal to stop the race was given :

Case A. Less than two full laps. If the race can be restarted, Article 156 will apply.

Case B. Two or more full laps but less than 75% of the race distance (rounded up to the nearest whole number of laps). If the race can be restarted, Article 157 will apply.

Case C. 75% or more of the race distance (rounded up to the nearest whole number of laps). The cars will be sent directly to the parc fermé and the race will be deemed to have finished when the leading car crossed the

Line at the end of the lap two laps prior to that during which the signal to stop was given.

RESTARTING A RACE
1) Case A.
a) The original start shall be deemed null and void.
b) The length of the restarted race will be the full original race distance.
c) The drivers who are eligible to take part in the race shall be eligible for the restart either in their original car or in a spare car.
d) Any driver who was forced to start from the back of the grid or the pit lane during the original start may start from his original grid position ;
e) After the signal to stop the race has been given, all cars able to do so will proceed directly but slowly to either :
- the pit lane or ;
- if the grid is clear, to their original grid position or ;
- if the grid is not clear, to a position behind the last grid position as directed by the marshals.
f) Cars may be worked on in the pits or on the grid. If work is carried out on the grid, this must be done in the car's correct grid position and must in no way impede the re-start.
g) Refuelling will be allowed until the five minute signal is shown.

2) Case B.
a) Other than the race order at the end of the lap two laps prior to that during which the signal to stop was given and the number of laps covered by each driver, the original race will be deemed null and void.
b) The length of the re-started race will be three laps less than the original race distance less the number of classified laps completed by the leader before the signal to stop was given.
c) The grid for the re-started race will be arranged in the race order at the end of the lap two laps prior to that during which the signal to stop was given.
d) Only cars which took part in the original start will be eligible for the re-start and then only if they returned under their own power by an authorised route to either :
- the pit lane or ;
- to a position behind the last grid position as directed by the marshals.
e) No spare car will be eligible.
f) Cars may be worked on in the pits or on the grid. If work is carried out on the grid, this must be done in the car's correct grid position and must in no way impede the re-start.
g) Refuelling is only permitted in the pits. If a car is refuelled it must take the re-start from the back of the grid and, if more than one car is involved, their positions will be determined by their race order at the end of the lap two laps prior to that during which the signal to stop was given. In this case their original grid positions will be left vacant.

3) In both Case A and Case B :
a) 10 minutes after the stop signal, the pit exit will close.
b) 15 minutes after the stop signal, the five minute signal will be shown, the grid will close and the normal start procedure will recommence.
c) Any car which is unable to take up its position on the grid before the five minute signal will be directed to the pits. It may then start from the pits as specified in Article 135.The Organiser must have sufficient personnel and equipment available to enable the foregoing timetable to be adhered to even in the most difficult circumstances.

FINISH
1) The end-of-race signal will be given at the Line as soon as the leading car has covered the full race distance in accordance with Article 13. Should two hours elapse before the full distance has been covered, the end-of-race signal will be given to the leading car the first time it crosses the Line after such time has elapsed.

2) Should for any reason (other than under Article 154) the end-of-race signal be given before the
leading car completes the scheduled number of laps, or the prescribed time has been completed, the race will be deemed to have finished when the leading car last crossed the Line before the signal was given. Should the end-of- race signal be delayed for any reason, the race will be deemed to have finished when it should have finished.

3) After receiving the end-of-race signal all cars must proceed on the circuit directly to the parc fermé without stopping, without receiving any object whatsoever and without any assistance (except that of the marshals if necessary).

Any classified car which cannot reach the parc fermé under its own power will be placed under the exclusive control of the marshals who will take the car to the parc fermé.

PARC FERME
1) Only those officials charged with supervision may enter the parc fermé. No intervention of any kind is allowed there unless authorised by such officials.

2) When the parc fermé is in use, parc fermé regulations will apply in the area between the Line and the parc fermé entrance.

3) The parc fermé shall be sufficiently large and secure that no unauthorised persons can gain access to
it.

CLASSIFICATION
1) The car placed first will be the one having covered the scheduled distance in the shortest time, or, where appropriate, passed the Line in the lead at the end of two hours. All cars will be classified taking into account the number of complete laps they have covered, and for those which have completed the same number of laps, the order in which they crossed the Line.

2) If a car takes more than twice the time of the winner's fastest lap to cover its last lap this last lap will not be taken into account when calculating the total distance covered by such car.

3) Cars having covered less than 90% of the number of laps covered by the winner (rounded down to the nearest whole number of laps), will not be classified.

4) The official classification will be published after the race. It will be the only valid result subject to any amendments which may be made under the Code and these Sporting Regulations.

PODIUM CEREMONY
1) The drivers finishing the race in 1st, 2nd and 3rd positions and a representative of the winning constructor must attend the prize-giving ceremony on the podium and abide by the podium procedure set out in Appendix 3 (except Monaco); and immediately thereafter make themselves available for a period of 90 minutes for the purpose of television unilateral interviews and the press conference in the media centre.

F1 FLAG
1) The drivers finishing the race in 1st, 2nd and 3rd positions and a representative of the winning constructor must attend the prize-giving ceremony on the podium and abide by the podium procedure set out in Appendix 3 (except Monaco); and immediately thereafter make themselves available for a period of 90 minutes for the purpose of television unilateral interviews and the press conference in the media centre.

White flag	Slowcar ahead. Drivers must be cautious.
Black flag	Usually shown at start of a Grand Prix, a car number will be displayed in white which means the car shown the flag must stop at the pits within one lap and report to the Stewards.
Yellow flag	Danger ahead, drivers are advised to slow down or reduce speed. The driver must not overtake when the yellow flag is shown.
Green flag	All clear and is shown at the start of the warm-up lap at every Grand Prix.
Red flag	When it is shown the race is to be stopped immediately.
Blue flag	Blue flags can be waved both during practice and during a race. The slower driver/car must, in practice occasions, give way to the faster driver/car. In race situations, it shows that the slower driver/car is about to be lapped and must move aside to allow the faster driver/car through. There will be penalty imposed on the slower driver/car if he fails to abide the blue flag.
Black with red spot	This flag acts as a warning to let the car know that ahead of them is a mechanical failure.
Back and white diagonal flag	When waved this flag acts as a warning for a driver showing un-sportsmanlike behaviour.
Yellow and red striped flag	Stationary this means that there is either oil or water on the track, but being waved it means that the driver is about to come into contact with a slippery surface.
Chequered flag	The flag which all drivers want to see signifying that the race has finished.

Source from FIA