Ever since Ferrari’s domination, Formula One has hit a Changing Rooms disaster, with a change to the regulations every 5 seconds; be it qualifying, tyres, fuel, set-up, parc ferme, starts, an aborted start, slowing down in the pit lane and a pink and orange chequered flag. Okay, the last bit was made up, but I’m sure you get the point! Basically Formula One has been changing to make itself a better sport for you and I to watch, as well as lowering costs and trying to keep the independent teams and the manufactures happy.

2005 was a season where the fans got some hateful rule changes, engines lasting 2 races, no more tyre changing, a dreadful cut in aero and a qualifying system which made fishing exciting. During the season at lest the qualifying system was changed to something a bit more understanding, the cut in aerodynamics left overtaking to the sin-bin, the long life engines cost us any chance of seeing Kimi Raikkonen and Fernando Alonso fight for the title and the single tyre rule left us with no smoking tyres off the line, and no more first corner lock ups. So the FIA really mucked things up, and after some banging and stamping from the fans, the FIA are set to make some more changes to ‘improve’ F1 for the future (isn’t that what they said last year?)

So 2006… looks good. For once we have a decent qualifying system in place, where all 20 cars will be on track during the first 15 minutes before the last 5 get kicked out, and in the next 15 minutes the bottom 5 of that lot get kicked out as well. Leaving us with a 20-minute session where the 10 fastest drivers in the world battle for pole. Personally it sounds great, pushing all the teams and drivers to the limit during the first 15 minutes, and then pole position set in the dying moments during the final 20-minute session later on. So action, excitement and entertainment for a good hour on Saturday afternoon, much better than a single car every 2 minutes doing a single lap…

Also theres the reintroduction of tyre changes. This season I always felt there was something missing, it was only when I witnessed a pit stop at Silverstone during Practice that I realised what was missing… tyre changes. Therefore I’m overjoyed to hear of their comeback, and if they were a person, would have flowers and chocolates waiting by the door. Now drivers will push to the limits throughout the entire 60 odd laps on Sunday afternoon, locking up their tyres into the first corner and wheel spinning them out of the pit box, no more granddad running down the pit lane, or grandma into the first corner!

2006 is looking more interesting than any season Pre-Ferrari’s domination, so maybe the FIA have finally got it right, lets just pray that its hear to stay!

But that wouldn’t be F1. 2007/2008 sees a new look Formula One Car, with a new rear wing with the middle missing as if an elephant sat in the middle of it. When introduced, it would be one of the biggest changes to a Formula One car since the introduction of the wing itself, designed to allow the car behind to overtake, its just the sort of thing which will interest the fan and give us no more single file races in Hungary and Spain. Well, that’s the idea in theory… To me, it’s a more modern, futuristic F1 car. Formula One is in danger of looking like GP2, with both cars looking similar from a distance. If Formula One is mean’t to be the unique side of motorsport, it must look like no-other racing car, having its own style, make-up and character. Of course the design will change and evolve, but only for the best, and if Formula One as a sport is moving in this direction, the future of ‘Changing Rooms – F1 Style’ is looking much more brighter than it did a year ago. Just get rid of those V8 engines and give them turbo’s and lets have 36 cars, I guess the debuts on future changes will go on and on.

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