No Refuelling
Refuelling will not be a feature of F1 for the first time since 1993. Typically until now teams built their cars to take a fuel load of around 80-90kgs. That capacity has risen to 170kgs or more to ensure that cars can safely reach the end of races where consumption is particularly high. Pit stops will be as important as ever, however, as drivers will be obliged to make at least one stop. As last year they have to use both the prime and option tyres at some stage during the course of the race.

Fewer Sets of Tyres Per Weekend
Drivers now have fewer sets of dry tyres to use each weekend. The allocation has been cut from 14 to 11 sets each, comprised of six primes (the harder tyre), and five options (the softer tyre). To help guarantee that the track is busy on Friday, one set of primes has to be returned to Bridgestone after P1, and thus can only be used in that session. After P2 a further set of primes and a set of options also have to be returned, leaving drivers with eight sets - four of each compound - for the remainder of the weekend.

Top 10 Start on Tyres on Which They Qualified
An extra element has been added to strategy with a rule that requires the 10 drivers who make it to Q3 to start on exactly the same set of tyres on which they qualified, although that only applies if both qualifying and the race require dry tyres.

Eight Engines for 19 Races
The rule specifying that drivers only have eight engines per season remains in place. However, while there were only 17 events last year, this season that allocation has to be stretched over 19 race weekends. Henceforth if a driver uses two additional engines in one weekend – in other words his ninth and 10th of the season – he will drop 10 places on the grid for that race, and 10 places on the grid for the next race.

Ban on Wheel Covers or Fairings
In recent years cars have sprouted dramatically shaped wheel covers or ‘spinners,’ which were intended to improve aerodynamic efficiency. They have now been banned, in essence as a cost saving measure.

Safety Car Restarts
Restarts after safety car periods could be more spectacular this year, because the field is now released at the safety car line – in effect adjacent to the pit entry – rather than at the start/finish line. Overtaking will be allowed as soon as cars pass the safety car line.

Testing for Substitute Drivers
Testing during the season is banned, as before. However there is now provision for any replacement driver to have a day of testing in order to acclimatise, although it cannot take place at a circuit that is used for a race.

New Points System
A Grand Prix winner will now get 25 points rather than 10, and the top 10 finishers will be rewarded on the basis 25-18-15-12-10-8-6-4-3-2-1.