The 2009 Formula One season kicks off in Melbourne this weekend and there’s plenty of changes for the F1 fan to get their head around.

Wing and a prayer

First of all, there’s a raft of new rules designed to make the racing better and overtaking easier. The most obvious to the casual observer is that the cars look different. Gone are the wide, low rear wings, replaced instead by much narrower ones, mounted higher up in the airstream. They’ve been chosen for their aerodynamic rather than their aesthetic qualities, the intention being not to disrupt the flow of air to a following car.

Looks a bit different now, doesn't it?

In the past, cars following too closely to another lost downforce as they entered the wake of ‘choppy’ air created by the rear wing of the car in front, thereby preventing them from running close enough to easily overtake. This new design should reduce that problem and let’s all pray that it does.

They're getting even more vital!

To make of the most of the less turbulent air, the front wings are very wide and low to the ground, giving the appearance of a snowplough. Again, ugly, but should allow for closer racing and (whisper it) overtaking! The angle of the front wings can also be adjusted by the driver through a range of three degrees up to three times a lap. The idea is that when cornering and maximum downforce is required, the wing is set at a steeper angle. Once the car is on the straight and the driver wants to minimise drag in order to go faster, he can adjust it to a shallower angle. This is the first time that moveable aerodynamic devices have been allowed on Formula One cars since 1969.

Grooved out

The next thing you’ll notice is that grooved tyres are gone, replaced by slick ones after 11 years’ absence. To distinguish between the two compounds that are used at each race, the ‘option’ tyres (softer compound) will have a green band around the outside, instead of the white stripe in the grooves which was used before. The ‘prime’ (optimum) tyres will have no marking.

Groovey is out, slick is in. Like 1971

Aero bar

Gone too are all the extra winglets and other bits of aero pieces that used to adorn the bodywork. Look out for sleeker, smoother lines, especially around the sidepods, and a bit of variety in design between the cars.

Gone are all these fiddly bits

KERS or curse

Apart from adjustable front wings, another thing that will keep the driver occupied is the new Kinetic Energy Recovery Systems (KERS). These store some of the energy which is generated when the car is braking and use it to give an extra burst of power – a bit like a boost button. They should provide an extra 80bhp for up to six to seven seconds per lap and it is up to the driver to decide at which point to use it. Most of the teams have opted for a battery-based system, while BMW-Sauber use a super-capacitor and Williams have opted for a mechanical flywheel.

Press the big red button!!

Not everyone has got to terms with them yet, so don’t expect to see them on all of the cars at the start of the season. So far Williams, Toyota, Toro Rosso, Red Bull, Force India and Brawn have said that they won’t be using the system in Australia. Of the others, at the time of writing, only Renault and Ferrari have definitely said that they will run the system at the first Grand Prix of the season.

One source of contention is the design of the rear diffuser on the Williams, Toyota and Brawn cars and there is a real danger of the season commencing with protests and wrangles about their legality. Just what we don’t want.

Engine management

Other changes? Well instead of teams having to use the same engine for two races in succession, now they are limited to eight engines for the entire season, but can use them in what ever order they want. There’s also a testing ban in place throughout the season, so anyone who has got it badly wrong now is in real trouble…

Ka-Boom!

With all the changes, expect to see different teams at the front – possibly, for a little while at least. So far in testing, Brawn has surprised everyone with its pace, while McLaren is struggling to find any. Ferrari has shown signs of unreliability, while Williams, Toyota, BMW-Sauber and Red Bull have all shown promise. And don’t discount Renault either.

The last major change that the dedicated F1 fan will notice this year is that the start time of some of the races has been changed to make it easier for European television viewers. Thus, instead of getting up in the middle of the night this Sunday, you can enjoy a comparative lie-in as the race doesn’t get under way until 07.00 UK time.