Rule changes

• Bridgestone will be the official tyre supplier for the 2008-2010 seasons


• A standard Electronic Control Unit (ECU) supplied by McLaren Electronic Systems (badged as Microsoft)


• Gearboxes to last 4 Grands Prix , 5 place grid penalty for a gear box change


• Restrictions on the ability of the teams to change their engines during and between the season(s)


• Rev-limited engines, Limited to 19,000 RPM as per sporting code 5.1.2


• Traction control banned along with several other electronic aids including engine braking - though this has been protested against by some drivers for safety reasons.


• Improved cockpit protection


• First part of qualifying lengthened to 20 minutes, and final part of qualifying shortened to 10 minutes, to eliminate 'fuel-burn' phase, and teams taking part in Q3 will no longer be allowed to add fuel back to the car after qualifying^.


• The first unscheduled engine change of the season for each car will not lead to the usual 10 place grid penalty.


• Fuel of the cars must be made up of at least 5.75% biologicial materials, for cars to comply with the European law on fuel composition.

Driver changes

• Sebastian Vettel replaced Scott Speed from the 2007 Hungarian Grand Prix onwards at Scuderia Toro Rosso and was confirmed as driver for 2008. Team-mate Vitantonio Liuzzi is to be replaced by Champ Car World Series four time world champion Sébastien Bourdais for 2008.


• On October 1, Ralf Schumacher announced that he would leave Toyota at the end of the 2007 season.


• On October 7, it was reported that Alexander Wurz had decided to retire from racing. He is staying on as test driver for Honda.


• On November 2, Fernando Alonso and McLaren announced that both parties agreed to a ‘mutual parting of ways’.


• On November 7, 2007, Williams announced that Kazuki Nakajima would partner Nico Rosberg for the 2008 season.


• On November 19, 2007, Timo Glock was confirmed as the replacement driver for Ralf Schumacher by Toyota.


• On December 7, 2007, after testing for Force India, Ralf Schumacher says it is unlikely he will return to Formula One.


• On December 10, 2007, Renault has confirmed that Fernando Alonso will drive for them next season. He will be partnered by rookie Nelson Piquet Jr.


• On December 14, 2007, McLaren confirmed Heikki Kovalainen will partner Lewis Hamilton as second driver.


• On January 10, 2008, Force India confirmed Giancarlo Fisichella as first driver and Vitantonio Liuzzi as a test driver. Adrian Sutil had already been confirmed as the team's second driver.


• On January 10, 2008, Alexander Wurz was announced as the reserve driver for Honda after leaving Williams just before the Brazil GP.


• On February 2, 2008, BMW announced that Christian Klien has been contracted as their test and reserve driver for the 2008 season. He will work alongside Marko Asmer who will become the team’s junior tester.


• On February 4, 2008, Renault signed Japanese driver Sakon Yamamoto as a test development driver for the 2008 season.

Team changes

• Rumours about the possible sale of the Jordan/Spyker team had been abundant in the paddock throughout the last few months of the 2007 season. Only a year after Spyker bought the team from Midland, Indian billionaire Vijay Mallya bought the team for € 88 million, several million more than Spyker paid. On October 24, 2007, Mallya was granted permission to change the team's name to Force India. He also said he would like to keep German driver Adrian Sutil for 2008. Force India had a driver announcement ceremony in January 2008 where it was revealed that Sutil would be second driver partnered by first driver Giancarlo Fisichella and test driver Vitantonio Liuzzi.


• On 28 April 2006, rallying and motorsports technology firm Prodrive were officially granted entry to Formula One when the FIA announced the list of entrants to the 2008 Formula One World Championship. While a total of 21 teams applied for entry, the FIA had always maintained that, only 12 teams would be granted entry, meaning only one new team would line up on the grid in 2008. FIA president Max Mosley revealed that Prodrive had found the finances to support their bid. Also, Prodrive's chief executive, David Richards, has experience as a Formula One team principal". Richards has previously acted as team principal of the Benetton and British American Racing teams. However on 23 November 2007, after lengthy negotiations between FIA president Max Mosley regarding customer cars, Richards announced that Prodrive F1 would not compete in the 2008 Formula One World Championship, as the legal situation left no time for the team to be set up.


• On December 31, 2007, Toyota announced that they would end their sponsorship deal with Kingfisher Airlines due to the fact that Kingfisher Airliners' owner Dr. Vijay Mallya wants to focus on the new F1 team Force India which was formed after Dr. Mallya's 2007 acquisition of Spyker F1 team. Although the team had a two year deal with the Indian airline company, both parties agreed to terminate the deal by 'mutual consent'.

Race changes

• The new Singapore Street Circuit which will host the Singapore Grand Prix at night.


• It has been confirmed that Singapore will host a Grand Prix from 2008 for the next five years. It will be a street circuit, with the route designed by Herman Tilke. It has been confirmed that the Grand Prix will be a night race, with a start time of 20:00 local time and run in an anti-clockwise direction to enhance safety. It has also been revealed that practice sessions and qualifying will take place at night.


• The European Grand Prix will take place at the Valencia Street Circuit in 2008, changing from the Nürburgring which hosted the event up until 2007. Because both German circuits share the right to host an F1 race, the German Grand Prix will take place at Hockenheim in 2008. It will continue to alternate between these two circuits yearly.


• It has been confirmed that the Indianapolis Motor Speedway will not hold a Grand Prix in 2008; however, a possible return to Indianapolis in the future has not been completely ruled out.


• The 2007 French GP was said to be the last to be held at Magny-Cours^.  Alternatives for the French Grand Prix included Paul Ricard or a new circuit near Disneyland Paris or Charles de Gaulle airport likely to host the event from 2009. However on 24 July 2007 it was reported that Bernie Ecclestone had "agreed in principle to maintain the race at Magny-Cours in 2008, and even 2009, if there were no other alternative."


• The 2008 season also sees changes to the race start times for China, moved to 15:00 and Australia, moved from its traditional 14:00 slot to 15:30.