Many changes in 2010: round table

We saw a 2009 championship dominated by two teams: Brawn GP, led by Ross Brawn, and Red Bull Racing, by Christian Horner. The outcome, as we know, ended with the double victory of Brawn and Jenson Button at the penultimate Grand Prix of the season.

But the transition between the 2009 season and the 2010 season brings numerous changes, of which we will list the main ones, for those who may not have followed everything this winter.

The regulation:

Gasoline:

Drivers will now have to start with a full tank of fuel. The tank capacity of the race cars has been increased to cover the entire Grand Prix distance without refueling, and it’s prohibited to do so. Fuel consumption is thus now a more significant factor, given that: If the car consumes less fuel while maintaining the same performance, it is possible to start with less fuel, which removes a few precious kilograms from the car.

Points System:

A new points classification has been given: 1st: 25 points – 2nd: 18 points – 3rd: 15 points – 4th: 12 points – 5th: 10 points – 6th: 8 points – 7th: 6 points – 8th: 4 points – 9th: 2 points – 10th: 1 point

The teams:

The number of teams is increased to 12, which results in 24 drivers per start. Four new teams appear with Virgin, Lotus, and Hispania Racing (formerly Campos) as well as the takeover of BMW-Sauber by Sauber.

KERS (Kinetic Energy Recovery System):

For the record: this allowed for an additional 80 horsepower for 6 seconds per lap. *This system is no longer usable.*

Tires:

The drivers participating in Q3 must start the Grand Prix with the same tires used during this last qualifying session.

Moreover, the special hubcaps designed to improve cooling have been banned this season. However, Ferrari is experimenting with a new system, similar to last year but bypassing the regulations.

Finally, the dimensions of the tires also change. The front tires are narrower than the 2009 tires. The rear tires maintain their size, causing more understeer and thus an additional challenge in the corners.

Weight:

The minimum weight of the single-seaters has been increased from 605 to 620 kilograms. The goal is to equalize fuel loads.

The Teams:

–Ferrari: F.Massa, F.Alonso(Champion du monde 2005-2006)

–McLaren: L.Hamilton(Champion du monde 2008), J.Button(Champion du monde 2009)

–Renault: R.Kubica, V.Petrov

–Toro Rosso: J.Alguersuari,S.Buemi

–Red Bull: 2009-2010: M.Webber, S.Vettel.

–Williams: R.Barrichello, N.Hülkenberg

–Force India: A.Sutil, V. Liuzzi

Teams that have changed names:

-Brawn GP est devenue Mercedes GP: M.Schumacher(Septuple Champion du Monde), N.Rosberg

-BMW-Sauber est devenue Sauber: P.De la Rosa, K.Kobayashi

New stables:

–Lotus Racing: H.Kovalainen, J.Trulli

–Virgin Racing: T.Glock, L.d.Grassi.

–Hispania Racing Team: K.Chandhok, B.Senna

Many changes in the regulations, including the extremely important one on refueling, and new or reformed teams will thus enliven this season. The race for the title will be even more competitive.

Article edited on March 7, 2010, at 7:14 PM.