User:Apterygial/Sandbox 6

New car launches
* Team started the season with updated versions of their 2007 car.

Notes
 * Renault and Honda both started testing their 2008 cars a week before their official launch.
 * Although they did not have an official launch, Williams-Toyota gave the FW30 its track debut on 21 January at Valencia during winter testing with a livery of former Formula One drivers on the nose cone who have driven for Williams in the past 30 years. Their season livery was revealed at their photography studio in Oxfordshire on 3 March.
 * Toro Rosso-Ferrari started the 2008 season with an updated B spec version of their STR2 car stating that their 2008 challenger, the Toro Rosso STR3, was due to make its debut at the fourth or fifth round. The new car made its test debut in the hands of Red Bull junior driver, Brendon Hartley in Italy on 2 April, and was also tested by Sébastien Bourdais. The car made its public debut in Barcelona on April 16 . It was later confirmed that the car would first race in Monaco.

Teams and drivers
The following constructors and drivers participated in the 2008 Formula One season.

† Toro Rosso started 2008 with a modified version of their 2007 car, labelled the STR2B. The Italian team originally planned to introduce the new STR3 around the fourth or fifth round of the 2008 championship, but it finally made its debut in the sixth round, the Monaco Grand Prix.

‡ Super Aguri withdrew on 6 May from the 2008 Formula One season due to financial troubles.

ECU

 * A standard Electronic Control Unit (ECU) was supplied by Microsoft MES, a joint venture between Microsoft and McLaren Electronic Systems.
 * Traction control and launch control banned along with several other electronic aids including engine braking reduction.

Engine and gearbox

 * Max Mosley proposed an engine freeze for ten years. Later, all teams agreed to shorten the engine freeze to five years.
 * The first unscheduled engine change of the season for each car did not lead to the usual 10 place grid penalty.
 * Fuel of the cars must have been made up of at least 5.75% biological materials.
 * Gearboxes to last four races, 5 place grid penalty for a gear box change. If a driver did not finish a race, he was allowed to change the gearbox for the next race without receiving a penalty.

Cars

 * Improved cockpit protection.
 * The use of a spare car was restricted. Each competing team would not be allowed to have more than two cars available for use at any time. In this context, a car was considered as such if it was a partially assembled survival cell, fitted with an engine, any front suspension, bodywork, radiators, oil tanks or heat exchangers.

Tyres

 * Bridgestone will be the official tyre supplier for the 2008-2010 seasons.