Formula One has announced its planned changes for the 2019 season. With only three races gone in the 2018 campaign and drivers getting familiar with the new Halo system, details about next year’s plans have already been officially announced and drivers will have to get used to another new piece of equipment with the introduction of biometric gloves.
It will be compulsory for all drivers to wear the specialised gloves as the sport looks to improve the safety of those racing. The new gloves, that will transmit potentially life-saving data from the driver to the at-track medical team, feature a sensor stitched into the fabric that will monitor a driver’s pulse rate and the amount of oxygen in the blood before, during and after a crash. This has been introduced to avoid instances when drivers may crash and a medical team are unable to reach them straight away due to being trapped under debris.
Elsewhere, heavier drivers’ current disadvantage has been removed. Current rules see lighter drivers utilise extra ballast added to their car (to bring it up to weight) to help optimise its balance and set-up. But heavier drivers, such as Nico Hulkenberg, will now benefit as the new rules state driver weight will now be considered separately to the car, rather than as a combined figure, which for 2018 is 734kg, which means that if a driver weighs less than 80kg, a team will need to use ballast in order to bring them up to the minimum weight.
This ballast will be placed adjacent to the driver’s seat, therefore reducing the advantage a smaller, lighter driver has previously had over his heavier rivals. Finally, there have been changes to the fuel allowance that has been increased by 5kg to 110kg with the aim of allowing drivers to use the engine at full power at all times when racing. It is hoped the change will ease the need to fuel save and result in more exciting racing on track.
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