Just a few days after both [tag]McLaren[/tag] drivers were penalized 5 grid spots for impeding [tag]Fernando Alonso[/tag] and [tag]Nick Heidfeld[/tag] during qualifying for the [tag]Malaysian Grand Prix[/tag], changes in qualifying rules are already been proposed.
This 60km/hr driving on the race line by [tag]Lewis Hamilton[/tag] and [tag]Heikki Kovalainen[/tag] was not only a very stupid thing to do, but terribly dangerous as well. If you watched the first video in Qualifying and ‘Cruising at the Malaysian Grand Prix before it was removed from YouTube, near the end of the clip you saw the closing speed of Heidfeld on the McLarens. If this was a blind corner with not much lead up to it, it could have been a disaster.

What is proposed is a [tag]new qualifying rule[/tag] imposing a time limit for drivers to complete their slow down in laps during qualifying, therefore preventing them from going too slow. Whatever the change may be, it is hoped to be written in time for the [tag]Bahrain Grand Prix[/tag] next month.

Doesn’t it make perfect sense that when you impose a new set of rules or make significant changes to existing rules such as the new qualifying for 2008, that you look at all the ways teams may try and exploit the changes to their advantage?

Any new tweaking may take care of car speed, but only a little intelligence will take care of staying off the race line.

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