Formula 1 qualifying will take the form of a single lap run in 2003 – the most radical decision taken following Monday's F1 meeting. The cars will take to the track in championship order on Friday - with the leader going first - and the times from this session will determine the order the cars run on Saturday, the fastest car going last.

Next season will also see a change to the F1 points scoring system with points awarded to the top eight in 10-8-6-5-4-3-2-1 order.

Team orders 'that affect overall race results' will be outlawed, although there has been no word yet on how this will be implemented.

An interesting restriction on testing has been announced, which allows teams who agree with the FIA to test for 10 days or less during the season being granted two additional hours of running on the Friday of a GP. This proposal will only take place if three or more teams sign up to the agreement.

As predicted, the tyre manufacturers – currently Michelin and Bridgestone – will be allowed to supply each team with two different compounds at each race, rather than two compounds for all their teams as is currently the case.

And finally, the Belgian GP has been stripped of its place on the 2003 calendar. No race will take its place, leaving just 16 rounds next year.

Originally posted by MB-BOB
I simply cannot believe that F1 presumes to be so arrogant. I don't understand why they'll race at several other tracks without tobacco livery yet get their **** in a roar over Belguim, three years before they do away with cigarette sponsorship altogether. How short-sighted!

Originally posted by FInality
I personally find the pole setting positions quite laughable....

Originally posted by trench
I don't understand dropping it when the tobacco sponsorship days are numbered, either. I think the FIA feels that they can pressure the small Belgian goverment into captiulating over the tobacco issue (which the larger British and French goverments would never do). I imagine that single race has a pretty sizeable impact on the regional economy for that portion of Belgium, which is why they think that the goverment will cave.

I have the feeling that the FIA is going to play hardball when the issue of the tobacco sponsorship moritorium comes up in a few years. Why bother having all of those races in Europe when there are plenty of countries around the world that would love to have a race and don't give a crap about tobacco sponsorship. It wouldn't surprise me if the European races were limited to Britain, France, Germany (one race), Italy (one race), Monaco and Hungary (I assume tobacco sponsorship will still be allowed in Hungary which is why it will stay on the books - probably Monaco as well). That would be only four races without tobacco (five for Ferrari as they can't use Marlboro in the US) - probably acceptable to Bernie.

- BT

Originally posted by MB-BOB
trench, help me remember which races are non-tobacco. I seem to think that British and French are non-tobacco already.

Motorsport's governing body, the FIA, has categorically stated that the Belgian Grand Prix will not feature on the 2003 Formula 1 calendar, even if Belgian politicians agree to relax their country's stance on tobacco advertising. In the wake of Monday's announcement that Spa is off next year's calendar, there have been calls in Belgium to look again at its unilateral prohibition of cigarette advertising – a world wide ban comes into effect in 2006. An FIA statement left the door open for Spa to return in 2004, if tobacco advertising is permitted, but with Bahrain and China guaranteed a place on the calendar its chances of regaining its spot look slim.

Then team orders: team orders which interfere with the race result are prohibited. There will be no more team orders which can interfere with the race and the result of the race.

Finally, on tyres, each team will be allowed two different dry tyres at each event. Previously, as you know, each tyre company would provide two tyres only for all its teams and each team had to choose a tyre from the same two tyres. They will no longer have that restriction.

We also discussed the HANS system which is a big change for the drivers and we decided that everybody will have to wear the HANS system in 2003, but they can modify it if they have physical difficulty fitting it, provided the Safety Commission agree the modification.

Two questions for you both, please. Could you just clarify when they run in qualifying on Friday, will they run for the whole season in the previous season's World Championship order or will they run in the running world championship order, race to race?

Max Mosley: It will be the World Championship running order. In the very first race we will use the previous year's Championship. After that, as the Championship progresses, so will the running order.

And the other question was will the car going out on its second run, on its 'out lap', actually be running at the same time as the first car coming in on its 'in lap', because of the mathematics of running 20 cars, you're not going to quite get it done in an hour, are you?

Max Mosley: It will be done well within the hour. The scheme will vary from circuit to circuit as the lap times vary but in principle as the first car crosses the line at the end of its flying lap the next car will go out. The precise schedule and the way it will all be arranged with a slot for each car will be sorted out circuit by circuit, but the essence of it is that when a car is on its flying lap there will be no other car on a flying lap at the same time.

Is there any way back in for Spa if the Belgian Government changes its tobacco legislation? And there's also some speculation that if F1 doesn't happen, maybe a chance of a Champ Car race there? Is there any possibility of that?

Bernie Ecclestone: What is going to happen I think is the Government is quite convinced that the laws will be changed for next year and that we will be back in 2004. I don't believe we are going to see CART racing there at all.

Originally posted by Accord
As far as the new qualifying system, I wouldn't be surprised if Ferrari claimed every pole seat for the 2003 season. Schumi will finally have his chance to break Senna's record.