We speak to a driver, engineer and three expert pundits to gauge how F1's new regulations will affect the racing.
Renault Sport F1 driver Jolyon Palmer on the differences from behind the wheel:
1. Higher speeds
“The biggest change is the speed we can carry into highspeed corners. At Barcelona [during testing] there are corners where we had to lift off the throttle and touch the brakes in last year’s car, but now those corners are flat out. We’ve got to be more committed. At Barcelona, there’s a speed gain of 20 km/h in some corners.”
2. Less need for tyre conservation
“You can be more aggressive on the throttle. This year, you can break traction [but] the tyres are more resistant to heat, so you can lean on them a lot more. There’s still some tyre degradation, but there’ll be more flat-out racing and therefore more angry radio messages from engineers asking drivers to push harder!”
3. Spectacular overtaking
“I think the Drag Reduction System [which aids overtaking] will be even more important this year. I’m no fan of DRS, but you feel a bigger drop off in aerodynamic grip when you’re following cars now. You lose the downforce and the car gets looser. Having said that, I think the overtakes will be better this year; being harder to do will make each passing move of a higher quality.”
4. More chance of mistakes
“The cars now corner as if they are on rails, but when they do let go, they let go in a bigger way. Also, the races are going to be much more physical and it means drivers might [make mistakes] towards the end. With fatigue, it makes it easier to lose the car. This is Formula 1, so there’s no margin for error.”
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Wake me up half way through the F1 season....
They just don't get it