Chief among the changes will be the reversion back to a split qualifying schedule over Friday and Saturday from the existing single session on the latter day; points will now be awarded for the first eight placed drivers as opposed to six; and the Belgian Grand Prix has been struck from the calendar due to the country's governmental ban on tobacco advertising.
Other alterations include the banning of team orders that affect race results and the ability for tyre companies to make customised tyres for each team they supply.
Today's meeting of the sport's leaders included supremo Bernie Ecclestone, FIA boss Max Mosley, representatives from all 11 teams as well as sponsors, race promoters, and tyre and engine suppliers.
The Commission voted on a number of proposals put forward to combat the sport's declining appeal amongst fans and commercial partners alike however the more radical of these suggestions have been rejected. Among the proposals not taken up included the placement of extra weighting on the successful cars in order to handicap them and make the race more exciting.
As it turns out perhaps the biggest single thing to come out of the meeting was the loss of the Belgian Grand Prix which, in the absence of a unanimous agreement by the teams to race without tobacco advertising, has been removed from the Grand Prix calendar.
It is likely that the Ferrari F1 team, which is sponsored by Marlboro, will have stated its opposition to the continued use of the Spa track in Belgium.
With Belgium now out of the reckoning, there is a space to fill in the race calendar but one that will not be filled by the new track in Shanghai which will not be ready for racing until 2004. A deal has been reached with the Shanghai organisers to bring an F1 race to the track as soon as it is built in two years time.
