Tougher sanctions, fewer engines for F1

Formula One drivers who cause accidents can expect tougher sanctions, while teams will be given help with measures to cut costs and ban special qualifying engines from 2004, said the International Automobile Federation.

An FIA statement on Wednesday said chassis regulations will be unchanged for the next two seasons while new engine rules will come in from 2004, a year later than proposed.

After a season that started in Australia this month with a spectacular first corner pile-up, knocking eight of the 22 cars out of the race, stewards have been given new powers with immediate effect to punish offending drivers.

"The stewards have been given the power to move a driver involved in an accident 10 places back from his qualifying position for the grid at the next event," the FIA said.

Last weekend's Malaysian Grand Prix was also marked by a first-corner incident between Ferrari's world champion Michael Schumacher and the Williams of Colombian Juan Pablo Montoya, who was deemed to have caused "an avoidable collision".

Montoya became the first Formula One driver to suffer a "drive-through" penalty, a measure brought in this season under which a competitor must drive slowly through the pits as a punishment during the race.

The FIA, whose Formula One commission and World Motor Sport Council met in Paris, outlined measures designed to cut costs and help smaller teams in a sport of burgeoning budgets.

ENGINE RESTRICTIONS

Teams were involved in marathon talks last weekend to try and hammer out an agreement before the meetings in Paris but the outcome fell short of what had been expected.

There was no mention of testing restrictions, shorter race weekends or the suggestion that engine manufacturers must agree to supply more than one team.

Instead, teams will be restricted from January 2004 to the use of just one engine per car for the three days of a race weekend -- free practice, qualifying and the race itself.

They are currently allowed to use special high-revving engines for Saturday qualifying -- a maximum of 12 laps per driver -- before replacing them with more durable ones for Sunday's race.

Proposals put forward by the FIA had originally been for such engines to be outlawed for 2003 but manufacturers -- notably BMW and Mercedes -- opposed that.

Teams will still be allowed to replace blown engines but must pay a price for it from 2004. "Each time (an) engine is changed during the event, the driver will move back 10 places on the grid," the FIA said.

"The FIA, in consultation with the teams, will define an engine change so as to prevent the rebuilding of an engine at the circuit," it added.

"Use of a spare car counts as use of an additional engine."

In another cost-cutting measure, the FIA said that it had agreed not to change the Formula One chassis regulations for the next two seasons.

For reasons of safety, the FIA intends to make the Head and Neck Protection System (HANS) already used in American racing compulsory in Formula One from next season.

The FIA said this was "provided the FIA has confirmation from each team that no driver is disadvantaged by using the device and that the FIA is able to conclude a licensing agreement with DaimlerChrysler which enables the device to be used in all international motor sport".