Following radical rule shake up announced by the FIA just over a week ago and after meetings with the team representatives and technical experts, the FIA Technical Working Group has confirmed most of the changes and detailed their implementation with minor changes :

- Pit to Car telemetry, to adjust settings on a car while on track, is banned effective immediately.
- Car to Pit telemetry will be allowed in 2003 but eliminated in 2004, replaced by a standard data logger.
- Radio communications between the pits and the drivers will still be allowed, as a stand alone system not capable of transmitting data, and only if the communications are open to race officials and to the public / TV broadcasters.
- Launch control, traction control and fully automatic gearboxes will be banned mid season starting with the British GP
- A third car, spare, will be allowed but only if a driver's car is damaged beyond repair.
- Cars will be held in Parc Ferme after qualifying, or in the team garages under supervision. Teams will be allowed to perform some limited work on cars or with special authorization.

The rest of changes announced Jan. 15th will take place including standard braking systems and rear wings, requirements for engines to last 2 race weeks in 2005 and 6 in 2006, allowing teams to buy components from others, etc...

Engine life is the most disputed issue with constructors opposed to changes because of the cost involved. Renault Sport president Patrick Faure threatening that his team might pull out of F1 by 2006 saying "this is Formula One, not the 24 heures du Mans".

This series of changes is being introduced to save money, particularly for the smaller teams, and also to try to spice up competition after Ferrari's dominance in 2002.