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FIA to Introduce New Spare Car Rule in France

Wednesday June 27th, 2001

A new ruling concerning the spare cars will come into play at the upcoming French Grand Prix, the FIA announced on Wednesday. After a meeting held today in Paris, Formula One's governing body, through the World Motor Sport Council, announced the introduction of a new rule saying that "a driver wishing to change cars must have got out of his original car and left the grid before the 15-second signal which immediately precedes the start of the formation lap."

The new rule means a driver will not be able to take his spare car if he stalls after the 15-second signal, stopping him from starting from the back of the grid or from the pitlane. The introduction of this new rule received the unanimous approval of all the Formula One teams.