The Bahrain Grand Prix kicks off this year's Formula One season on Sunday with the major differences from last year new V8 motors for all teams and a knockout qualifying format where tyre changes are once more permitted.
The main objectives of the new reforms are to reduce costs in the sport, increase security and make the sport more attractive to spectators.
The F1 engines, which drop from 920 to 730 horsepower, must still hold for two race weekends while lap times on high-speed circuits are expected to drop by more than a second.
PHOTO: AP
The boring individual qualifying modus, which saw just one car on the circuit at a time, has been replaced with a 60-minute session with all 22 drivers participating.
After the first quarter of an hour, the six slowest cars are eliminated, with a further six going 15 minutes later. The remaining 10 drivers will then have 20 minutes to decide the starting order of the first five rows.
While the first 12 cars to have been eliminated in qualifying can refuel if they so wish, the top 10 cars can only top up the amount of fuel they used in the final 20-minute qualifying session.
As a result, a car that qualifies in 11th place can possibly remain out on the circuit for much longer than the car that won pole position and remain in the race for longer.
Tire supplier Michelin has voiced fresh criticism of rule changes on the eve of what will be the French company's farewell season in Formula One.
The French manufacturer is leaving the sport as it is against the introduction of unitary tires.
"Although the rules were changed in a bid to reduce costs, it is disappointing to note that a tire manufacturer such as Michelin will have to carry 38 percent more stock to races this season than it did last year," the company's Formula One director Nick Shorrock said on Monday.
"Michelin is working with six F1 partners this year, rather than seven, yet finds itself having to supply more than 300 extra tires per race weekend," he added in a preview for Sunday's season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix.
Last year teams had to make one set of tires last for qualifying and the race but new rules for this season allow a return to tire changes.
That could favour Japan's Bridgestone, who were dominant with Ferrari in 2004 when pitstops for fresh tires were last allowed.
Bridgestone are supplying Ferrari, Midland F1, Toyota and Williams. The remaining seven teams, including world champions Renault, will be supplied by Michelin.
However, Shorrock said that Michelin, whose image was badly dented last year when all their teams pulled out of the US Grand Prix for tire safety reasons, were confident they had done their homework.
He said the new V8 engines, replacing last year's V10s, required a different driving technique which would impact on tire performance but Michelin had addressed the issue.
"This year, for the first time, we were able to conduct a pre-season test in Bahrain," he said. "That gave us ample opportunity to accumulate relevant data. It also confirmed that our preparations in Europe had been very astute."
Michelin, who provide champions Renault and runners-up McLaren with tires, won all but one of last year's 19 races and scored 83.5 percent of the available points.
The company needs just seven more wins to become only the second tire manufacturer to notch up 100 world championship grand prix victories. Goodyear hold the record of 368.
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