Pirelli Tyres’ Second Year Working With F1
Will Sebastian Vettle have the Formula One season all his own way again? Well, 2012 sees the introduction of some important new rules. F1 rules generally change every season and this season is no different, although this year’s rule changes are not as major as last year. 2011 saw Pirelli, who make premium car tyres, take over from Bridgestone, as well as the introduction of KERS and DRS. These changes had a huge impact on the sport and added a massive wow factor.
A summary of the new 2012 rules:
- Driver Etiquette – Drivers will have to make sure that they do not re-enter the racing line once they have moved away from it. This should see less accidents and more overtaking on the corners! The drivers must also not cut the chicane without a justified reason.
- Crash Testing – Side impact testing must pass the new strict FIA guide lines before they are even allowed on the track. We have seen some amazing crashes where the drivers have got up and walked away. If this new ruling saves the life of an F1 driver it will be well worth it.
- No Blown Diffusers – The FIA are not allowing engine mapping and exhaust positioning to give an unfair advantage.
- Safety Car – All cars that have been previously lapped will effectively be able to un-lap themselves but will join at the back of the pack. This will make sure that the back markers are not in the way of the race leaders. The race leaders will then have a clear track when the race re-starts.
- Tyre Rules – These have also been changed to allow the drivers and teams to select any of their allocated tyres rather than only the three that they were allowed last year.
We are looking forward to seeing how the season pans out. The first race is Australia so let’s look forward to the middle of March.