Teams agree rule changes for 2017

F1 teams and the FIA have agreed a swathe of rule changes to be sent to the decision-making strategy group for approval.

That is the claim of Germany’s Auto Motor und Sport, revealing that the 2017 changes relate to tyre choice, safety car race starts and the end of a multiple engine change loophole.

Another change is designed to address the issue of ’unsafe release’ from pitstops, with a light to now show a driver if the pitlane is safe.

But the biggest change is the closing of a loophole that allowed drivers to amass huge penalties whilst stockpiling engines under the current long-life rules.

From 2017, only the last engine change can be used subsequently, which would render the ’stockpiled’ engines useless.

Another significant change is that Pirelli will mandate tyre compound selections in the opening 5 races of next year, to ensure teams do not choose too many softs.

Teams have also agreed that races should start from the grid after early safety car periods for rain, correspondent Michael Schmidt wrote.