Changes

Rule changes

• Although the FIA had planned to introduce a regulation single tyre manufacturer from 2008, there will be a sole supplier (Bridgestone) from 2007 to 2010, since Bridgestone's only rival, Michelin, ended their participation in Formula One after the 2006 season.
• Tyres are supplied in accordance with the revised Sporting Regulations, which provide for a total of 14 sets of dry weather tyres per driver over the race weekend: four sets for Friday only, and 10 for the rest of the weekend.

Top: harder tyre (officially named the 'prime' tyre).
Bottom: softer tyre (the 'option' tyre), at the Malaysian Grand Prix.

• Also, during the race, both compounds of tyre (hard and soft) have to be used at least once during the race. Initially, in the Australian Grand Prix, soft tyres were marked with a white spot. However, this was difficult to see when the car was in motion and, as of the Malaysian Grand Prix, one of the four grooves in the soft compound tyre is painted white.^[16]
• The teams finishing 5th–11th in the previous seasons' Constructors' Championship are no longer allowed to run a third car on Friday following a rule change.^[17] The teams that finish 1st–4th are already banned from doing so.
• Engine development is frozen from the 2006 Japanese Grand Prix, with these engines being used for the whole of 2007 and 2008. This is described as engine "homologation" by the FIA. It was previously set to be introduced in 2008.^[18]
• All cars are fitted with red, blue and yellow cockpit lights. The purpose is to give drivers information concerning track signals or conditions. The lights must be LEDs each with a minimum diameter of 5 mm and which are fitted in order that they are directly in the driver’s normal line of sight.^[19]
• In order to give rescue crews an immediate indication of accident severity each car must be fitted with a warning light which is connected to the FIA data logger. The light must face upwards and be recessed into the top of the survival cell no more than 150 mm from the car centre line and the front of the cockpit opening and as near to the marshal neutral switch as is practical.^[19]
• The two Friday practice sessions expanded from 60 minutes to 90 minutes. All teams are allowed to use two cars, which may be driven by either the two race drivers or a nominated third driver.^[20]
• The engine penalty is now only applied in the second day of the grand prix weekend. Any engine change in the first day is not penalised.^[20]
• No car is allowed to enter the pits to refuel during a safety car period until all cars are in the group following the safety car and they have been advised that the pit lane is now open. This prevents drivers from racing to the pits immediately after a safety car is deployed. In addition, any lapped cars in front of a car on the lead lap are required to pass the safety car and restart at the end of the line-up instead of maintaining their physical position.^[20]
• The Formula One teams have unanimously agreed to the voluntary early introduction of the testing agreement scheduled for 2008. This limits each team to an annual limit of 30,000 km.
• The team's second car now has to run with a yellow coloured roll bar instead of a black one. The first cars will still run with a red/orange roll bar. This is intended to help spectators distinguish between first and second cars at further distances.

Driver changes

• 2005 and 2006 World Champion Fernando Alonso will drive for McLaren starting in 2007 after 5 years at Renault.
• Juan Pablo Montoya, who was a McLaren driver until aftermath of the 2006 United States Grand Prix will be driving in the NASCAR Nextel Cup series for 2007, effectively ending his Formula One career, as announced on July 9, 2006.
• On August 2, 2006, Williams announced that test and reserve driver Alexander Wurz would step up to a race seat for 2007, replacing Australian Mark Webber.
• On August 7, 2006, Red Bull Racing announced their 2007 driver line-up of David Coulthard and Mark Webber, displacing Christian Klien.
• On August 7, 2006, BMW Sauber announced that Jacques Villeneuve's contract had been terminated immediately and for the rest of the season would be replaced by test driver Robert Kubica. Kubica was later announced on October 19, 2006 to retain the race seat for the 2007 season, with Sebastian Vettel remaining as the team's test driver. On December 21, 2006 BMW announced GP2 driver Timo Glock as their second test driver.
• On September 6, 2006, Renault confirmed Heikki Kovalainen as the team's replacement for Fernando Alonso.
• On September 10, 2006, Scuderia Ferrari confirmed Kimi Räikkönen as a replacement for the retiring Michael Schumacher.
• On November 15, 2006, Super Aguri confirmed Anthony Davidson as Sakon Yamamoto's replacement.
• On November 24, 2006, McLaren confirmed Lewis Hamilton as their second driver.
• On December 21, 2006, Spyker confirmed Adrian Sutil as their first driver.
• On July 10, 2007, Spyker announced that Christijan Albers would no longer be driving for the team. The given reason was a failure to pay sponsorship monies due. Markus Winkelhock will race Spyker's second car at the European Grand Prix.
• On July 25, 2007 Spyker confirmed Japanese driver Sakon Yamamoto would compete in the remaining seven Grand Prix for them.^[11]
• On July 31, 2007, Scuderia Toro Rosso replaced Scott Speed with BMW test driver Sebastian Vettel following an alleged physical altercation between Speed and STR Team Principal Franz Tost.^[21]
• On October 8, 2007, Williams driver Alexander Wurz announced his immediate retirement from Formula One racing.^[22] Williams test driver Kazuki Nakajima replaced Wurz for the Brazilian Grand Prix^[10].

Team changes

• Ferrari technical director, Ross Brawn, was to take a sabbatical year for 2007, after 10 seasons at the Italian team. However, it was later announced that he is to leave the team,^[23] although he has stated he wishes to work with the team in future.
• McLaren will change their name to Vodafone McLaren Mercedes after signing a primary sponsorship deal with the telecommunications company late in 2005.
• With the loss of Vodafone, Scuderia Ferrari will begin work with Alice, a brand of Telecom Italia who will join the team next year.
• Mild Seven confirmed that they would not renew their contract with Renault following its conclusion at the end of 2006 and current European tobacco laws.^[24]
• British American Tobacco's Lucky Strike and 555 brands ceased to sponsor the Honda F1 team, leaving them to seek another primary sponsor.
• Williams changed their engines from Cosworth to Toyota in a three-year deal.^[25] Contrary to recent speculation, the engines will not be rebadged as Lexus.^[26]
• On September 9, 2006, MF1 Racing was officially sold to a Dutch-Arab consortium owned by Michiel Mol, along with the aid of Spyker Cars. The team has officially been renamed Spyker MF1 Team, keeping the MF1 for the rest of the season due to Concorde Agreement rules.^[27]
• On September 30, 2006, Spyker announced that their engine supplier would be Ferrari.^[28]
• On October 16, 2006, Renault confirmed that the Dutch banking company, ING, would become their main sponsor to replace Mild Seven.^[29]
• On October 20, 2006, Williams announced AT&T as their new main sponsor.^[30]
• On October 24, 2006, Spyker announced they would change their name from Spyker MF1 Team to Spyker F1 from 2007 onwards, subject to all other teams giving their agreement.^[31][32]
• On October 31, 2006, Red Bull confirmed their engine situation for 2007. Renault engines will be used for Red Bull Racing, while Scuderia Toro Rosso will use Ferrari engines.^[33]
• On March 15, 2007, Spyker announced their new title sponsor for the 2007 season: United Arab Emirates airline company Etihad Airways.^[34]

Television coverage

• Formula One Management became the sole host broadcaster for all but three of the 17 Grands Prix in 2007. All coverage was produced in anamorphic 16:9 widescreen for the first time.^[35][36][37]
• ITV Sport, Premiere, OBN, TF1 and TV3^[38] were among the first broadcasters to provide a standard 16:9 widescreen programme at the opening race in Australia.
• For the United States TV coverage, except Speed Channel, FOX also broadcast 4 Formula One races. Those were the 2007 Canadian Grand Prix, 2007 United States Grand Prix, 2007 French Grand Prix and 2007 British Grand Prix. The 2007 Canadian Grand Prix and 2007 United States Grand Prix were televised live.

Circuits

• A new chicane has been inserted into the straight between Europcar and New Holland (final corner) at the Circuit de Catalunya, Barcelona. This was installed in order to slow the cars down before the long main straight, and provide more overtaking opportunities into turn 1.^[39]
• Spa has also undergone track changes, with a new paddock area, a reprofiled Bus Stop Chicane, an extension of the start-finish straight and a change to La Source hairpin.^[40]
• The largest-scale repair in the last 35 years will be done to Autódromo José Carlos Pace in São Paulo, Brazil, to fundamentally solve problem of the asphalt.^[41][42] All present asphalt will be removed and replaced with new asphalt.^[43] At the same time, the pit lane entrance will be enhanced to improve safety.^[44] The circuit is closed and no event held for five months to work, from June to October, until immediately before the event.^[45]