Storyline: The problem for newcomers to Formula 1 is that terms and rules can be intimidating. So here are a few things you’ll need to know as the new season begins. Written by Sharath, India.
Courtesy: autosport.com
There’s some point of life where we all crave speed–even those among us who lead a calm and hassle free life. For others, who enjoy a rough, on-the-go lifestyle, auto sport might be the first choice preference.
When we talk of auto sports it doesn’t get any bigger and better than Formula 1. And the new season is almost on us. The chequered flag will wave off in Australia in just a few days.
The problem for newcomers to the sport is that terms and rules can be intimidating. So here are a few interesting things you need to be aware of as the new season begins. My ‘Beginner’s Guide’ to 2016 Formula 1 Season includes five aspects:
Tracks
Teams
Points
Tyres, and
New Qualification Rules.
Let’s take them one at a time.
1. Tracks
“I love racing so we always welcome more racing. But, it is going to be grueling this season,” said Lewis Hamilton, the current champion, during a candid chat with Mercedes’s YouTube Channel.
Yes. It is going one to be the longest Formula 1 season ever–starting off with Australian Grand Prix in March and signing off with Abu Dhabi in November. The previous highest number of races in a single season was 20 races during 2012 season. Sebastian Vettel earned his third world championship that year. This time, Lewis Hamilton is looking for his third consecutive world championship.
Here is the schedule for all the 21 races.
Courtesy: tensports.com
2. Teams
11 teams take part this season with Haas-Ferrari being the new inclusion from the previous season. This would essentially mean that the number of drivers participating in this edition increases to 22 from 20.
This season will also witness a change in team name for Marussia to Manor Racing with completely new faces in their cockpits. It would also witness Lotus F1 being dismantled and renewed as Renault F1 with a new personnel.
Last two years had witnessed an enormous growth and non-intimidating emergence of Mercedes. This season, however, is expected to be a much closer contest between Mercedes and Ferrari. If the testing was anything to go by, Ferrari made a clear progress with their renewed version of cars.
Read more here about F1 teams and drivers for 2016.
3. Points
There’s no change in the points system from recent years. The winner gets 25 points. The last position that wins at least one point is the #10 finisher. Finish below that and you don’t early points.
During the 2015 season Lewis Hamilton finished with an aggregate of 381 points, followed by his Mercedes team mate, Nico Rosberg, who accumulated 322 points.
4. Tyres
The rules for the number of tyre sets that each driver could opt for has been reduced over the years. This year it’s 13. But each driver is given a choice pick of the ratio of the type of tyres he would need eight weeks in advance. Pirelli expects this could promote heavy pre-race strategies, given the advantages that one version of tyres offers over others.
Courtesy: jamesallenonf1.com
The tyres are categorized into medium, soft, and super-soft depending on the type of compounds included. Of the 13 tyre sets allocated to a driver, three sets would be nominated by the tyre maker Pirelli.
Mercedes, Haas and Sauber are the only teams in which the team drivers opted for a different choice of tyre ratios. Depending on how they utilize these change sets, and the progress they make, we are looking at a potentially great postseason data analysis.
5) New Qualification Rules
New qualification rules can be considered as one of the most revolutionary changes being introduced this season. The organizing committee approved these new changes in March, just a few weeks ahead of the first race.
You can read the full set of rules here.
There were concerns raised by multiple parties about the new rules, but there is some sense of renewed anticipation as to how this effect the race altogether. It can be regarded as the single most rule shift in scoring system after the 107% rule.
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So, that’s it. You now have enough knowledge to keep track of what would occur in Formula 1 this season. One thing’s for sure: it will be a great racing season with a grueling schedule and uncertainties lurking all around.
