Rules meeting delayed

The meeting between team bosses and the FIA to discuss how the new rules are affecting Formula One has been delayed, so the parties involved can take more time for consideration. Originally scheduled for next Friday, the meeting is now planned to take place later this month.

"The reason that it has moved is because we really want to do a more thorough job than we have time available," said McLaren team principal Ron Dennis. "We all felt when we had a team principals meeting yesterday that we needed more time to analyze the better part of the regulations. There are still strong views held by most people about every single regulation."

"We need more time to try and come to a consensus because the next set of changes, if and when they are made, have to be clearly for the better. So we don't want to be pressured into making decisions that are not well thought through."

Any new changes are unlikely to come into effect until the Spanish Grand Prix at the beginning of May. One lap qualifying and no refueling are likely to be some of the main points under consideration, along with the restriction on the amount of work allowed on cars after qualifying.

After the concerns over Friday qualifying in Brazil, where heavy rain played havoc with the intermediate tyre choice, teams will be campaigning to have two wet weather tyre choices on a race weekend rather than the current one.

Some drivers attempted to call off the Friday session due to the conditions but agreed to take part when it went ahead anyway. The FIA was surprised that teams opted for the intermediate tyres when the weather in Brazil is often wet.

"In October 2002, the Formula One teams unanimously voted to change the rules to limit wet tyre to one type. Given the wet weather conditions commonly experienced in Brazil, it is perhaps surprising that the teams decided to bring intermediate, rather than wet weather tyres."