Formula 1 Rule Changes; New Cars, Better Specs, Modified Power Units and More

Formula 1 racing has instituted some rule changes in 2017 as a response to sports car racing critics saying the sport has been "too predictable". Moreover, critics said the cars have been too easy for the drivers to drive.

So what did Formula1 administrators do? They did a few changes to the rules. According to Yahoo Sports, this year it is expected that there will be longer lap times, fewer pit stops and newer aerodynamic regulations.

The first major change was about the downforce which is needed in order to increase the cars' speed. Higher downforce means drivers have better grip and more speed around corners, as they can put the brakes much later.

The total downforce may increase to about 15-30 percent this year. Changes in the rear wing, diffuser bargeboards, and side pads will aid to improve the aerodynamics of each race car.

But Foxsports said last year's cars were not really that slow either. An example of speed differences is Lewis Hamilton's recorded time at Albert Park's last year. Hamilton's record was only 3/10^th's short of Sebastian Vettel's fastest time ever in his qualifying round of 2011.

It can also be recalled that years' cars were not really that slow either. Which means race carboys will have to work harder with the higher speeds that the 2017 cars are be building up on. Daniel Ricciardo said better physical conditioning is important to the driver to withstand the higher speeds now that one change includes the weight requirement.

Who loves sexier cars? This year's Formula 1 race cars are sexier but rugged-sexy. That means rear wings are lowered by 150mm and wider to 200mm. Tires are made wider, front tires have a width of 305 mm while the rear wheels have a 405 mm width. This change will bring a better performance for the race car. Overall, it brings back nostalgia to the late 90s or early 2000s.

Likewise, Formula F1 rule changes stipulate that the start procedure should be made manual, instead of driver-assisted. Teams have also innovated on their clutch paddle (Mercedes did with finger holes in their clutch). And new rules about the hand-operated clutch have been swirling around. This means drivers will have to find the "sweet spot" themselves without the use of the crafty software.