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The countdown to the 2014 Formula One Season is on. The new season will see a host of changes such as regulations and driver line ups among others which are expected to spice up the battle on the race track.
Its 68 days and counting before the 2014 Formula One season gets underway at Albert Park. The Australian GP will kick start the season which will witness a radical change in the regulations of the sport. The testing at Jerez will be a preview of the things that one might expect to see in the new season. Here’s a list of things to watch out for in 2014.
1. Race Venues
The 2014 season will see a revival of the Austrian GP since 2003 thanks to an agreement between Austrian team, Red-Bull and Bernie Ecclestone. Formerly known as the Osterichring and the A1 Ring the track has been renamed,the Red-Bull Ring, after its new owners. The track will remain unchanged from the last Grand Prix despite some refurbishing. The track had seen a drastic change in design in 1997(with credit to Hermann Tilke) to the one that was used in it’s previous stint in the 1980′s though the flowing corners and the uphill backstretch still remain the key characteristics. The race will be held on 22nd June as part of the European tour.
All eyes would be on the much anticipated race of the season, making its Formula One debut in 2014, the Russian GP. The venue of the race will be Sochi, which is scheduled to host the 2014 Winter Olympics. The race will take place on the street circuit with the Sochi Olympic Park as the backdrop. The race is scheduled for 12th October and is expected to add to the excitement of the Championship battle.
2. Driver Line Ups
The 2013 silly season saw quite a hoopla around who’s heading where for 2014. Kimi Raikkonen remained the epi-centre as he made his move back to Ferrari, after a one year Championship winning stint in 2007, to join Fernando Alonso, the driver who had replaced him in the Italian outfit back then and has struggled to strike gold despite a long stint with the Scuderia. The fire and ice combination will be the one to watch out for in 2014. Apart from Mercedes who have stuck to their drivers Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg, every other team has replaced at least one of their drivers for the new season(Caterham and Marussia are yet to announce their final line-up).
The much talked about seat at Lotus(due to the vacancy created by Raikkonen) alongside a resurgent Romain Grosjean was taken up by the Venezuelan Pastor Maldonando. Lotus will have two hot-heads to tame in the paddock for 2014. Daniel Ricciardo will partner the four time World Champion Sebastian Vettel in the Red-Bull replacing compatriot Mark Webber. Felipe Massa and Valtteri Bottas will combine to make a healthy mix of youth and experience at Williams while Esteban Gutierrez and Adrian Sutil would hit the race track for Sauber. Another exciting battle is likely to ensue between Nico Hulkenberg and Sergio Perez at Force India as both would be trying to prove their candidacy for a seat with the front runners after being snubbed by them for 2014. 2014 will inevitably be the year of battle between the teammates.
3. Rookie Drivers
As of now there are two rookies who will be on their way to battle it out with the men in the big league. Kevin Magnussen (Mclaren-Mercedes) and Daniil Kvyat (Toro Rosso) will be in the limelight given the expectations from the teams and the pressure of performing. Mclaren felt it was the ideal time to groom the young and talented Magnussen while Toro Rosso showed faith in the young Russian, Kvyat, who is also a product of their Young Driver’s Programme and 2013 GP3 Champion. While Magnussen will join 2009 Champion Jenson Button hoping to revive the fortune’s of the struggling team, Kvyat will join Jean Eric Vergne who managed to retain the seat at Red-Bull’s sister team.
4. Regulations
The new season will bring along one of the biggest technical changes the sport has witnessed as the V8 engines make way for the 1.6-litre V6 turbo engines. A new energy recovery systems, fuel limits, tweaks to the nose, front and rear wings and changes to the exhaust will add up to the excitement on the track not to mention the unpredictability it adds to the season. Whether Red-Bull will be able to dominate the calendar yet again? Or will it be Ferrari or Mclaren who will return to their dominant days? The new regulations also give an opportunity for the mid-field teams to have a go for glory. Predicting a race outcome might just become a passe.
5. Car Design and Sound
With the new regulations coming into effect, the car designs are also bound to change and headed for a makeover. Whether it is a good one remains to be seen but few drivers have already pointed towards the regulations making the car design look awkward and ugly. Not to mention the sound of the car that will be way different from the one that we had got used listening to over the years.
Will Sebastian Vettel and Red-Bull be as dominant in the 2014 season amid the radical changes in Formula One?
6. Driver Numbers
Race drivers will be allocated numbers that will be displayed on their helmets and in front of their cars. Every driver has been asked to choose their race number along with second and their third choice, between 2 and 99, while 1 will be reserved for the world champion should he want it. If more than one driver selects the same number, priority will be given on last year’s championship order.
7. Penalty Points
Come 2014 and drivers will be penalised for pretty much everything. They will be given penalty points on their licence for breaking rules related to driving offences and will be banned for one race if they reach 12 points in 12 months. Drivers will be penalised for unsafe releases in the pit lane, unable to turn up at the FIA weigh bridge or changes to the car before it is brought on to the weigh bridge. There is also a restriction on the use of gearboxes and engines. Five engines can be used over the course of the season, reduced from eight in 2013. If a new engine, over and above the alloted quota, is used, the driver will start the race from pit lane, as opposed to the ten-place grid penalty handed down earlier.
8. Mid-Season Testing
2014 will also see the return of mid-season Testing. Four venues will host a two-day test following the races. The testing would be limited to regulations by FIA on the cars to be used(current, previous and historic) and the conditions under which they shall be tested. The end of season Young driver’s test, which was an opportunity for teams to test their rookie drivers, has been discarded.
9. Pole Position Trophy
The FIA has introduced a Pole Position Trophy that will be awarded to a driver who sets the most pole positions during the championship season. In case of a tie the holder of the greatest number of second places will be taken into consideration.
10. Double points at Abu Dhabi
The Final round at Abu Dhabi will be quite an interesting one. Drivers will be awarded double the points at the season finale. While the idea has come under a lot criticism it is bound to offer some excitement at the Yas Marina circuit more so if the Driver’s and Constructor’s Championship is on the line.
