F1's governing body "published details of a new super license system" to be introduced in '16 to ensure drivers are at least 18 years old and experienced enough to race, according to Alan Baldwin of REUTERS. The revamped rules, in an appendix to the int'l sporting code buried inside the fia.com website, "would have kept controversial 17-year-old racer Max Verstappen off this year's starting grid." Other drivers whose F1 places have owed more to cash than talent "may also find it harder to obtain" a license in the future. Beginning next year, any new applicant for a super license "must be the holder of a valid driving license and at least 18 years old by the start of the first F1 race weekend." The driver must answer questions on the int'l sporting code and regulations and have completed at least 80% "of two full seasons of qualifying championships" (REUTERS, 1/6).
HONDA 'ANNOYED':The BBC's Andrew Benson wrote McLaren and new engine partner Honda "queried a ruling that prevents them from improving their engine during the 2015 season but allows their rivals to do so." A senior F1 source said Honda was "annoyed" by the development. The situation "has arisen because of a lack of clarity in the rules concerning permitted engine developments." Honda feels that "the ruling puts them at a disadvantage, and will meet the FIA next week to discuss the situation (BBC, 1/5).
