FIA Modifies Qualifying Rules

By Sam Cooper
March 29 2008

The FIA has changed the rules for qualifying ahead of the Bahrain Grand Prix following the dangerously slow laps that the top ten were completing at the end of Qualifying. The new rules stipulate that drivers must do their in laps within 120% of their normal lap times during the third phase of qualifying.

The new rules come after BMW's Nick Heidfeld was slowed down during his last flying lap in Q3 in Malaysia, consequently the two McLarens were relegated five places for the race. It was clear for all to see that the difference in speed was a major threat to the drivers saftey.

"Our clarification to the teams and drivers will be that cars returning to the pits having completed their flying lap or laps will be required to do so within a time that we will set," an FIA spokesman confirmed.

"This could be approximately 120 percent of the normal time as we do to prevent drivers going very slowly to the grid to save fuel," he added.