PETRONAS Motorsports
2010 Season in Preview
March 2010
Unlike the previous season, the changes for the 2010 FIA Formula one World Championship season are not as striking but will certainly raise a few eyebrows – teams, drivers, enthusiasts and casual observers alike.
Regulation changes*
Refuelling: The most significant change for 2010 has to be the revision on refuelling. For the first time since 1993, the FIA has imposed a ban on refuelling during the races. Drivers will however still be required to make a stop for the compulsory tyre change as drivers will still have to use both tyre compounds during a grand prix. This will also mean a much shorter pit stop
As a result, the cars will require a much larger fuel tank to accommodate approximately 250litres of fuel (compared to the typical 70 – 80 litre in 2009). This will have a significant impact on the car design with a wider and longer chassis design. In addition to a change on the size of the front tyres, race strategy will also be affected with a significantly different weight distribution. Drivers will also have to pay more attention to managing their tyres and brakes with heavier fuel loads.
Weight: A direct result of the refuelling regulation is the weight of the car from 2010 with the minimum weight of the car raised 605kg to 620kg. The regulation was initially introduced to offset the disadvantage faced by taller and heavier drivers in KERS-equipped cars. However, by mutual agreement, KERS will not be used in 2010.
Tyres: One of the areas that remained unchanged with the return of slicks in 2009 was the size of the tyres. This means in term of contact area, the fronts has proportionally more grip that the rears. To address this, the FIA have reduced the size of the front tyres from 270mm to 245mm to address the grip balance.
The refuelling ban also means that the cars will 100kg heavier, prompting Bridgestone to introduce slightly harder compounds. The number of tyres available to drivers has also been reduced from 14 sets to just 11 sets per weekend. In addition, drivers who qualify into the final qualifying shoot-out (Q3) must start the race on the same tyres he qualified on.
Qualifying & more teams: The last time that Formula One witnessed more than 20 cars on the grid was in 1995 when 26 cars took part in a race. The participation of 12 teams in 2010 also means a larger than usual grid as well as a slightly modified knockout qualifying session. From 2010, eight drivers (from five) will be eliminated in Q1 and Q2, leaving 10 to battle it out in the final Q3 shoot-out.
Points system: To take into account the increased number of teams for the 2010 season, the governing authority has revised the points system. The previous system of 10-8-6-5-4-3-2-1 will be amended as follows:
| Position |
Points |
| 1st |
25 |
| 2nd |
20 |
| 3rd |
15 |
| 4th |
10 |
| 5th |
8 |
| 6th |
6 |
| 7th |
5 |
| 8th |
3 |
| 9th |
2 |
| 10th |
1 |
Testing: Only four pre-season winter tests will be permitted with in-season test ban remaining. If a new driver is drafted in to replace an existing driver during the season, the teams will be allowed one day of track testing on an approved circuit not being used for a Grand Prix. The incumbent driver also should not have participated in an F1 race in the previous two years.
Teams will also be allowed six rather than eight straight-line aero testing per-season. Teams will have the option of substituting any of these for four-hours of wind-tunnel testing with a full-scale model car.
More
- 2010 FIA Formula One World Championship Calendar