ETCC: Rule changes announced

FIA WORLD COUNCIL APPROVES ETCC RULE CHANGES

On Wednesday in Paris, the FIA World Motor Sport Council approved a number of important changes to the FIA European Touring Car Championship regulations.

SPORTING REGULATIONS

In order to optimise the equality of performances between the cars, ballast weight handicaps will be applied to the drivers finishing in the first three places of each championship meeting, according to the total number of points scored in the two races.

Weight handicaps will be imposed according to the following scale:

1st : 30 kg
2nd : 20 kg
3rd : 10 kg

These weights will not be cumulative from race to race and there will be no weight reductions; at the end of each event, the previous weight handicaps will be scratched and new ones applied.

In the case of drivers having scored the same number of points at the end of an event, the highest place in the official qualifying session will be used to separate them.

The weight handicaps specified at the end of an event will be applied at the following event to the minimum weight of the cars as defined in Article 263-5 of Appendix J.

TECHNICAL REGULATIONS

MINIMUM WEIGHT - For immediate application, and until the end of the 2002 season, the weight of the rear-wheel drive cars is reduced by 15 kg and the weight of the front-wheel drive cars is increased by 15 kg.

ENGINE REVS - The current maximum rpm for all cars, 8500 will be amended to:

8500 for 4-cylinder engines (e.g.: Alfa Romeo, Nissan and Honda) 8750 for 5-cylinder engines (e.g.: Volvo) 9000 for 6-cylinder engines (e.g.: BMW)

APPLICATION IN OSCHERSLEBEN

These changes, proposed by the FIA Touring Car Commission, will come into effect at the next meeting in Oschersleben, on July 13th and 14th. The new minimum weight fixed for all the cars complying with the Super 2000 Technical Regulations will be 1155 kg, driver included (current minimum weights are: 1140 kg for front-wheel drive cars and 1170 kg for rear-wheel drive cars).

Ballast weight handicaps will be calculated according to the results obtained in Anderstorp.