No refuelling allowed.

This will mean longer wheelbase and wider rear bodywork to make cars capable of fitting bigger fuel tanks. Last season tanks were of 90l, for this season fuel tanks will need to be of at least 180l, take into account that in some circuits the consumption is as high as 3l per lap. It may be possible for this season to see drivers having to safe fuel towards the end of a race, tire conservation is also going to be key. Last time refuelling was banned was in 1993. Can you imagine how the car weight distribution is going to change between the beginning and the end of the race? Engineers must be having headaches…

Narrower front tires.

Last season slick tires returned to the F1, however the tire width remained unchanged. This caused the front tires to gain more grip than the back tires did. To solve this grip unbalance the front tire width has been reduced from 270mm to 245mm for the 2010 season.

The set of dry tires a driver can use per weekend has been decreased from 14 to 11. Drivers who participate in the Q3 have to start the race with the same tires used in the Q3. 2010 season tire compounds are likely to be slightly harder to compensate the increased weight of the bigger fuel tank.

Safety measures for the front wing

To prevent damage in an opponent’s tire in case of collision, a rule stipulates that in some areas of the bodywork components must have a minimum radius. Provably to avoid sharp edges which could tear a tire wall.

KERS regulations

KERS devices will this season have double power. So, drivers will have an additional 60hp for up to 12s per lap. For the 2010 F1 season KERS cannot be activated while travelling over 300km/h. This means that KERS is going used for accelerating faster but not to achieve higher top speeds.

The budget limit for the 2010 F1 season is of 30 million €.

More power from the engine

The 18000rpm limit has been removed. This will lead teams decide between increasing the max revolution rage of their engine, and therefore achieving more power, or keeping the reliability. It has to be said that increasing the rev range will also lead to higher fuel consumption, and this means more weight at the start line.

Increased minimum weight.

The minimum weight has been increased from 605kg to 620kg to reduce the disadvantage heavier drivers have now.

Raised nooses.

To get more air under de car. This is going to improve the aerodynamic downforce. This is done to compensate for the 2010 smaller front tires and smaller rear diffusers.

New diffusers

The size is limited but not the number of them. Double or triple diffusers could be implemented to improve the downforce. To host multiple diffusers conductions need to be made to grab air form the underbody flow and drive it to the various diffusers.

These are the main modifications for the 2010 F1 season. 2010 season promises to be a lot more competitive season than 2009 was.

A question for you: Do you think is good for the F1 having all this drastic regulation changes season after season?

References:

http://www.youtube.com/user/fastlanedaily?blend=1&ob=4#p/u/4/EGtnnGzwxPQ

http://www.f1technical.net/news/12314

http://www.formula1.com/inside_f1/rules_and_regulations/sporting_regulations/8692/

http://www.formula1.com/inside_f1/rules_and_regulations/sporting_regulations/8692/