Skimming Through FIA 2010 Rules
When it comes to the autos it is not easy to tame them, they could be outrageous, wild and savage especially when they have the most daring, fearless and heroic men to charm them. Over the years all auto racers have tried to lay down some rules or the others to keep the nasty machines from the damage they are capable of and to keep the track from turning into a brutal arena. The Federation Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) like all the other race organizers has shaped and reshaped its rules time and again to develop the sport more entertaining and less prone to injuries and accidents, claiming heavy monetary loss as well as the loss of precious human lives.
Some of the sporting rules are there which have stayed the same over the years and there are others that have been modified over time and previous experiences. At times some of the rules are revised every year sometimes they are to stay over several years. Similarly, a dramatic change in the FIA rules took place before the introduction of the 2010 season. Some revisions in the rules are as follows which are thought to impact significantly on the drivers performances:-
Feeding the cars:
Among the changes the biggest and most surprising one is the banning of refuelling during races. Since the year 1993 it has been the first time ever that refuelling is forbidden during a race. With this it is expected that the pit stop would be much quicker, possibly it could be even under four seconds now.
However, with this change the car manufacturers now design cars that can possess a much larger fuel tank, starting from 80 litres to around 250 litres. In order to accommodate the bigger fuel tank, the cars have wider rear bodywork and for sure a longer wheelbase. That means that now the cars that are made for F1 have the weight distribution quite different to that of a 2009 car.
Score Board:
In the previous seasons the top eight drivers would get points that were distributed as 10, 8, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 and 1 respectively. Now, the first ten drivers in a race get points. Now the points are distributed in a way that 25 points are given to the winner of the race, while 18 and 15 are granted to the drivers ending at the second and third places respectively. To the drivers ending at the next seven positions 12, 10, 8, 6, 4, 2 and 1 points are given respectively.
Weight Matters:
The F1 cars had always been famous for its light weight but after the 2009 season the minimum weight of the car has been resettled from 605 kg to 620 kg. The major reason behind this was to eliminate the disadvantage that the taller and heavier drivers in KINETIC ENERGY RECOVERY SYSTEM (KERS)-equipped cars had. For the year 2010, however, teams mutually agreed not to run KERS cars.
Slick and slim front tyres:
In the year 2009 slick tyres returned to Formula One racing, while the size of the tyres remained unchanged. However, in 2010 the front tyre width had been reduced from 270 mm to 245 mm, which has helped to improve the grip balance. Moreover, due to the ban on refuelling cars now at the start of a race the cars are 100 kg heavier than they were at the start of a race in 2009, therefore, Bridgestone now has to use tyre compounds that are slightly harder to cope with the change in weight.
No wheel fairings:
Now, teams are no longer given the permission to use wheel rim covers. This was to subtract at least one thing that could go wrong when pit crews struggle to change the set of tyres in less than four seconds.
More teams:
The number of teams has been now been changed to twelve teams that means twenty four cars feature on the grid.
With these and other changes that FIA constantly try to make the sport able to stay alive over years and years. Now the administration is working hard for the fans, to increase their involvement and to let them get a little closer to the cars and the drivers which had not been a custom here at FIA previously. Hope the sport keeps improving and entertaining its fans the same way in the future as well.
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