2008 FORMULA ONE SEASON
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The '2008 Formula One season' will be the 59th FIA Formula One World Championship season. It will be the first season under the new Concorde Agreement. As it stands, there are a total of seven teams signed up to compete in the championship through an agreement with Formula One Management, with the other four major manufacturers in the Grand Prix Manufacturers’ Association (GPMA) having signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) at the 2006 Spanish Grand Prix. All teams in both groups have spots on the 2008 grid.
| Contents |
| Teams |
| New Teams |
| Applications rejected |
| Teams and drivers |
| Provisional 2008 Race Schedule |
| Changes |
| Rule changes |
| Driver changes |
| Rumours and speculation |
| Driver rumours |
| Possible rule changes |
| References |
Teams
On February 14 2006 the FIA President Max Mosley announced that all teams interested in competing in the 2008 World Championship would have a seven-day window during which they would have to submit an application to compete [1]. All eleven current teams applied, as well as several others. The GPMA manufacturers insist that talks are ongoing with Bernie Ecclestone, and if the outcome isn't to their satisfaction, they could still go ahead with the series. It's widely expected that an agreement will be reached, securing the long-term future of the sport. Under the current regulations for 2008, only 12 places are available.
On April 28, 2006 the FIA announced that all of the current teams' applications for the 2008 season were granted, along with a new team Prodrive, fronted by the ex-BAR principal David Richards.
===Teams Signed with FOM===
★ Ferrari
★ Red Bull
★ Renault
★ Spyker
★ Super Aguri
★ Toro Rosso
★ Toyota
★ Williams
===GPMA manufacturers (MoU with FOM)===
Bernie Ecclestone has signed an agreement with the Grand Prix Manufacturers' Association (GPMA) to end their threat of a breakaway series in 2008. [2]
★ BMW Sauber
★ Honda
★ McLaren-Mercedes
New Teams
★ Prodrive [3]
Applications rejected
★ European Minardi F1 Team Ltd [4]
★ Jordan Grand Prix [5]
★ Direxiv [6]
★ Carlin Motorsport [7]
Of note there were up to 22 Applications with the FIA for acceptance into the 2008 F1 World Championship
Teams and drivers
| Team | Constructor | Chassis | Engine | Tyre | No | Driver | Test driver(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vodafone McLaren Mercedes | McLaren | TBA | Mercedes | TBA | TBA | ||
| TBA | |||||||
| Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro | Ferrari | TBA | Ferrari | Felipe Massa [8] | TBA | ||
| Kimi Räikkönen [9] | |||||||
| BMW Sauber F1 Team | BMW Sauber | TBA | BMW | Nick Heidfeld[10] | TBA | ||
| Robert Kubica | |||||||
| ING Renault F1 Team | Renault | TBA | Renault | TBA | TBA | ||
| TBA | |||||||
| Williams | Williams | TBA | Toyota [11] | Nico Rosberg [12] | TBA | ||
| TBA | |||||||
| Red Bull Racing | TBA | TBA | TBA | David Coulthard [13] | TBA | ||
| Mark Webber [14] | |||||||
| Panasonic Toyota Racing | Toyota | TBA | Toyota | Jarno Trulli [15] | TBA | ||
| TBA | |||||||
| Super Aguri F1 | TBA | TBA | Honda | Takuma Sato [16] | TBA | ||
| Anthony Davidson [16] | |||||||
| Honda Racing F1 Team | Honda | TBA | Honda | Jenson Button [18] | TBA | ||
| Rubens Barrichello [19] | |||||||
| Scuderia Toro Rosso | TBA | TBA | TBA | Sebastian Vettel [20] | TBA | ||
| Sébastien Bourdais [21] | |||||||
| Etihad Spyker | TBA | TBA | TBA | Adrian Sutil [22] | TBA | ||
| TBA | |||||||
| Prodrive[3] | TBA | TBA | TBA | TBA | TBA | ||
| TBA |
Provisional 2008 Race Schedule
The provisional list was made in July 2007.[24]
Details have been confirmed by the FIA.
★ Canadian GP Conditional pending contractual confirmation.
★ European GP and Singapore GP Conditional pending track approvement by FIA.[25]
It has been confirmed that Singapore will host a Grand Prix from 2008 for the next five years, likely to host its 2008 round in September or October. It will be a street circuit, with the route designed by Hermann Tilke. It has been confirmed that the Grand Prix will be a night race[26], and run in an anti-clockwise direction to enhance safety[27] .
The European Grand Prix will take place at the Valencia Street Circuit in 2008, changing from the Nürburgring which hosted the event up until 2007. Because both German circuits share the right to host an F1 race, the German Grand Prix will take place at Hockenheim in 2008. It will continue to alternate between these two circuits yearly.
The 2007 French GP was said to be the last to be held at Magny-Cours.[28] Alternatives for the French Grand Prix included Paul Ricard or a new circuit near Disneyland Paris or Charles de Gaulle airport likely to host the event from 2009. However on 24 July 2007 it was reported that Bernie Ecclestone had "agreed in principle to maintain the race at Magny-Cours in 2008, and even 2009, if there were no other alternative."[29]
Speculation continues as to whether the San Marino Grand Prix will return to the calendar in 2008 after being removed in 2007 due to building work. Japan could host a second Grand Prix, renamed the Pacific Grand Prix at the popular Suzuka Circuit, after losing the Japanese Grand Prix in 2007 to the Toyota owned Fuji Speedway. Bernie Ecclestone has suggested that Imola will not return, but Suzuka is likely to return, after concerns with the potential number of races in 2008 [30]
It has been confirmed that the Indianapolis Motor Speedway will not hold a Grand Prix in 2008. It is thought unlikely that any other venue would be ready to hold the United States Grand Prix this late.[31]
Changes
Rule changes
★ Bridgestone will be the official tyre supplier for the 2008-2010 seasons. [32]
★ A standard Electronic Control Unit (ECU) supplied by McLaren Electronic Systems (badged as Microsoft) 32
★ Long life gearboxes
★ Long life engines
★ Restrictions on the ability of the teams to change their aerodynamics during the season
★ Restrictions on the ability of the teams to change their engines during and between the season(s)
★ Rev-limited engines
★ It was announced on March 30, 2007 that traction control is going to be banned from the 2008 season.[33]
Driver changes
★ Scott Speed was replaced by Sebastian Vettel from the 2007 Hungarian Grand Prix at Scuderia Toro Rosso and was confirmed as driver for 2008. The other STR driver, Vitantonio Liuzzi, is replaced by Champ Car World Series triple-world champion Sebastien Bourdais.
Rumours and speculation
Driver rumours
★ Following incidents at the 2007 Hungarian Grand Prix, Alonso is rumored to return to Renault in 2008 due to a falling out with McLaren.[34]
Possible rule changes
★ At a meeting in May 2006, a majority of the teams voted to scrap the plan to restrict engine development.[35] However, within a few days Max Mosley stated that the homologated engine rule would remain. [36]
★ Bernie Ecclestone will propose a change to the current points system, giving more advantage to the winner.[37]
References
1. Mosley gives GPMA deadline to sign up
2. Ecclestone signature ends breakaway threat
3. Richards lodges 2008 application
4. Minardi to return under Stoddart for 2008
5. Jordan entry for 2008 confirmed
6. Direxiv entry for 2008 confirmed
7. Carlin confirms F1 entry application
8. Massa
9. Raikkonen
10. Heidfeld and Kubica stay at BMW
11. Toyota engines for Williams in 2007
12. Rosberg will not get a transfer to an other team in 2008
13. Coulthard
14. Webber
15. Trulli
16. Same Super Aguri Line-Up 2008
17. Same Super Aguri Line-Up 2008
18. Button
19. Barrichello confirmed at Honda for 2008
20. Vettel to race for Toro Rosso in 2008
21. Bourdais to join Toro Rosso in 2008
22. Sutil to stay at spyker for 2008
23. Richards lodges 2008 application
24. World Motor Sport Council 2008 F1 Calendar
25. F1 extends calendar to 18 races
26. http://www.formula1.com/news/6063.html
27. Singapore gets the thumbs up for a night race - anti-clockwise around the course Ian De Cotta
28. http://www.itv-f1.com/News_Article.aspx?PO_ID=38802
29. Ecclestone agrees to keep French GP
30. http://www.f1-live.com/f1/en/headlines/news/detail/070512154745.shtml
31. http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/60736
32. Bridgestone wins tyre deal
33. Traction Control banned from '08
34. SpeedTV
35. Team bosses hail successful meeting
36. Ruminations on democracy
37. Bernie to push for points system change
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