2008 Formula One Season - Rule Changes

Rule Changes

• A standard Electronic Control Unit was supplied by Microsoft MES, a joint venture between Microsoft and McLaren Electronic Systems.
• Traction control and launch control banned along with several other electronic aids including engine braking reduction.
• An engine freeze to last five years was started in 2008, with the first unscheduled engine change of the season not leading to the usual 10 place grid penalty.
• Fuel of the cars must have been made up of at least 5.75% biological materials.
• Gearboxes to last four races, 5 place grid penalty for a gear box change. If a driver did not finish a race, he was allowed to change the gearbox for the next race without receiving a penalty.
• Improved cockpit protection.
• The use of a spare car was restricted. Each competing team would not be allowed to have more than two cars available for use at any time. In this context, a car was considered as such if it was a partially assembled survival cell, fitted with an engine, any front suspension, bodywork, radiators, oil tanks or heat exchangers.
• Bridgestone will be the official tyre supplier for the 2008–2010 seasons. They would also be marking their extreme wet weather tyres with a white line in the central groove to differentiate it from the softer wet weather tyre compound.
• No competing team was allowed to carry out more than 30,000 km (18,641 mi) of testing during the 2008 calendar year.