Rule changes for the 2013 F1 Season

The 2013 F1 season is just round the corner and the FIA have made certain small but important changes to the the F1 regulations. So, lets take a look at those changes.

As discussed in my previous article 2013 Season Preview-Tyres, Pirelli have modified the tyres for 2013 and their weight has been increased by 2 kg. So, the FIA has also increased the minimum weight limit from 640 to 642 kg. This change in weight limit has also forced FIA to change the weight distribution to minimum figures of 292kg:343kg front to rear, leaving teams 7 kg to play with.

Stepped noses wouldn’t be a prominent feature on 2013 cars as FIA have allowed teams to place a non-structural ‘vanity panel’ over the stepped nose. The shape of the Vanity panel will be regulated by strict rules.

There has also been a change in the FIA crash test procedure. The side load test for the survival cell will be much more severe, and all the chassis that the team produce will have to undergo this test, rather than a single chassis.

Double DRS and other active Double DRS systems, where the DRS activation mechanism is utilised for other purposes, have also been banned for 2013. But the teams are allowed to develop passive DRS activation mechanisms. One such example is the Double DRS system developed by the Lotus F1 team in 2012, which operates when the car reaches a certain amount of speed.

Also, the DRS use has been restricted to DRS zones in qualifying and practice and the drivers will no longer be able to deploy DRS outside DRS zones.

FIA have also tightened front wing load tests, and now front wings will face a tougher deflection test, with a 1,000N (100kg) load applied at two different points on both the longitudinal and transverse axes. The amount the wing may deflect has been reduced from 20mm to 10mm.

Last year, some teams like McLaren and Ferrari raised the issue of flexing wings on the Red-Bull, and therefore the above rule has been tightened to close down the loop-holes in the test procedure.