This installment of our look at the upcoming F1 season continues with the changes to the rules and regulations:
Refuelling Ban
For the first time since 1993, cars must start with a full tank of fuel to last the entire race. Fuel tanks have increased in size from around 80 litres (sorry, but they're foreigners - they do metric) to 250, and the cars have a longer wheelbase.
Drivers will still have to stop for tire changes which could now take as little as three seconds and become a key strategic focus.
"I think, looking at testing, we are going to get a lot of very unusual strategies in the race," said world champion Jenson Button.
"I think you are going to have some teams trying to stop two or three laps before their rivals so they can get out on new tires and maybe bump them. You'll also have the teams that aren't so competitive trying crazy strategies like pitting after lap one and hoping to run to the end of the race."
With more emphasis on fuel economy, the sport also hopes to present a greener image, and the starting weights of cars will no longer be published.
Points
The scoring system now looks more like that used in Moto GP, with the top 10 picking up points and the winner getting 25 rather than 10.
The new system adopts a 25 (1st) - 18 (2nd) - 15 (3rd) - 12 (4th) - 10 (5th) - 8 (6th) - 6 (7th) - 4 (8th) - 2 (9th) - 1 (10th) format.
KERS
Teams have agreed not to use the Kinetic Energy Recovery System (KERS) that helped McLaren and Ferrari to win races last season.
The system gave drivers a short extra burst of power at the push of a button. The minimum weight of cars has been raised from 605kg to 620 (damn metric).
Tires
The front tires have been made narrower. Compounds will also be harder to compensate for the cars being heavier.
Drivers who reach the third and final phase of qualifying will have to start the race on the same set of tires with which their grid time was set. This will introduce an additional strategic element to the race.
The number of sets of dry weather tires allocated to each team per race has been reduced from 14 to 11. One set must be returned after first practice and two after second practice. Wheel rim covers, used by many in 2009, are not allowed.
Testing
In-season testing remains banned but a new regulation allows teams to test a replacement driver if he has not taken part in a grand prix in the two previous calendar years.
In such a case, one day of track testing will be allowed at a circuit not used by Formula One and "between the start of the week preceding the second event and the last event of the championship".
Races
The championship has been expanded from 17 to 19 races, with the addition of South Korea and return of Canada.
Qualifying
If there are 26 cars, then the slowest eight (instead of five in 2009) will be eliminated after the first qualifying session and a further eight after the second. All will qualify on low fuel.
Stewards
Experienced former F1 drivers will form part of the stewards' panel, with four stewards sitting at each race instead of the previous three.
Refuelling BanFor the first time since 1993, cars must start with a full tank of fuel to last the entire race. Fuel tanks have increased in size from around 80 litres (sorry, but they're foreigners - they do metric) to 250, and the cars have a longer wheelbase.
Drivers will still have to stop for tire changes which could now take as little as three seconds and become a key strategic focus.
"I think, looking at testing, we are going to get a lot of very unusual strategies in the race," said world champion Jenson Button.
"I think you are going to have some teams trying to stop two or three laps before their rivals so they can get out on new tires and maybe bump them. You'll also have the teams that aren't so competitive trying crazy strategies like pitting after lap one and hoping to run to the end of the race."
With more emphasis on fuel economy, the sport also hopes to present a greener image, and the starting weights of cars will no longer be published.
Points
The scoring system now looks more like that used in Moto GP, with the top 10 picking up points and the winner getting 25 rather than 10.
The new system adopts a 25 (1st) - 18 (2nd) - 15 (3rd) - 12 (4th) - 10 (5th) - 8 (6th) - 6 (7th) - 4 (8th) - 2 (9th) - 1 (10th) format.
KERS
Teams have agreed not to use the Kinetic Energy Recovery System (KERS) that helped McLaren and Ferrari to win races last season.
The system gave drivers a short extra burst of power at the push of a button. The minimum weight of cars has been raised from 605kg to 620 (damn metric).
Tires
The front tires have been made narrower. Compounds will also be harder to compensate for the cars being heavier.
Drivers who reach the third and final phase of qualifying will have to start the race on the same set of tires with which their grid time was set. This will introduce an additional strategic element to the race.
The number of sets of dry weather tires allocated to each team per race has been reduced from 14 to 11. One set must be returned after first practice and two after second practice. Wheel rim covers, used by many in 2009, are not allowed.
Testing
In-season testing remains banned but a new regulation allows teams to test a replacement driver if he has not taken part in a grand prix in the two previous calendar years.
In such a case, one day of track testing will be allowed at a circuit not used by Formula One and "between the start of the week preceding the second event and the last event of the championship".
Races
The championship has been expanded from 17 to 19 races, with the addition of South Korea and return of Canada.
Qualifying
If there are 26 cars, then the slowest eight (instead of five in 2009) will be eliminated after the first qualifying session and a further eight after the second. All will qualify on low fuel.
Stewards
Experienced former F1 drivers will form part of the stewards' panel, with four stewards sitting at each race instead of the previous three.
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