18 Feb 2015

No more F1 changes til 2017

1:17 pm on 18 February 2015

Formula One's next rules revolution will have to wait until at least 2017 after a meeting in Geneva voted against significant technical change before then.

Ferrari driver Sebastian Vettel.

Ferrari driver Sebastian Vettel. Photo: PHOTOSPORT

Although there was no formal statement issued, sources say the FIA's Formula One Commission had rejected a proposal to change the regulations and allow cars with wider tyres and different bodywork for the 2016 season.

The 2016 rules can be changed on a majority vote up until March 1st, after which unanimous approval - a rarity in Formula One with teams having so many vested interests - is required.

The sport underwent a major upheaval last year with the introduction of a new V6 turbo hybrid power unit, replacing the old and much louder V8 engines that some in the sport would still prefer.

While calls for a return to the V8s have fallen away, there are talks about tweaking the regulations for 2017 so that the V6 turbo engines can be increased to 1,000 bhp.

Teams have been considering ways of improving cars, and creating more excitement for spectators, without increasing already excessive costs.

Ferrari principal Maurizio Arrivabene, whose team failed to win a race last year for the first time since 1993, said last month that Formula One needed "a real revolution" with faster cars producing more power and noise.

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