Changes for the Coming Season

With an ongoing argument about how to cut costs in order to safeguard the sport during the current economic downturn, a number of new rules have been introduced. Probably the most dramatic is the banning of refuelling during the race for the first time since 1993. Drivers now have to start the race with all the fuel they need to go the distance in their tanks. The 

The top 10 drivers to qualify for the race must also start the race on the same set of tyres they quaified with, and drivers will now have just 11 sets of tyres over the course of a weekend (down from 14). Meanwhile, the Formula One Teams Association (FOTA) has also agreed to scrap KERS (although KERS is not actually banned in the regulations). The maximum number of cars allowed to take part in a race will increase from 24 to 26 cars, together with a new points system: 25 points for first, 18 for second, 15 for third, 12 for fourth and then 10, eight, six, four, two, and one for tenth place.

How the top teams line up, Plus...

Magnificent Seven: A look at this Year's Top Drivers

Hard and Fast Rules: Changes for the Coming Season 

Love him or loathe him, you’d be hard-pushed to find anyone who is into Formula One that doesn’t welcome the spectacle of seven times World Champion Michael Schumacher’s return after a three year hiatus from the sport. The German will be driving for the renamed Mercedes GP, where he’ll be reunited with engineer Ross Brawn, the mastermind behind those seven titles (he was with Schumi at both Benetton and Ferrari). The sale of Brawn GP to Mercedes-Benz in November led to the change in team name, but Brawn will be staying on as principal. The deal was also reported to be worth a whopping GBP110 million – meaning majority shareholder Brawn can add super-rich to super-engineer in the growing list of superlatives associated with him. Lining up alongside Schumacher will be compatriot Nico Rosburg, whose switch from Williams makes Mercedes GP an all-German affair.

Over at McLaren it’s the best of Britain, with 2009 World Champion Jenson Button making the move from Brawn GP to join his countryman, 2008 World Champion Lewis Hamilton. That little dream team is the sport's first double-champion line-up since Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost, also driving for McLaren, back in 1989.

Another former World Champion back behind the wheel of a car he can compete in is two-time title-holder Fernando Alonso who has signed for Ferrari. The Spaniard’s move was so heavily speculated among insiders that it became known as ‘the worst-kept secret in F1.’ More good news for the Tifosi (Ferrari’s legion of fans) is that the Brazilian is back - Felipe Massa is in the driving seat once again after lifesaving surgery on a fractured skull sustained in a crash at last season’s Hungarian grand prix. He hasn’t lost his bottle either - the only man faster than him when testing started in early February was teammate Alonso. Watch out.

The only top team that has decided to stick with what they’ve got is Red Bull Racing. The runners-up in last season’s Constructors Championship are keeping faith with boy racer Sebastian Vettel of Germany and Aussie Mark Webber. And who can blame them? They came second and fourth in the Drivers Championship respectively last season.

Mark your calendars: April 18, 3 pm is racing time. Here's how to get yourself to the track:

The Shanghai International Circuit is located 30 km northwest of downtown Shanghai in Jiading District. There are four free shuttle bus routes.

Route one: Shanghai Stadium to Shanghai International Circuit Park No. 13 (Apr 16-18)

Route two: Shanghai International Gymnastic Center to Shanghai International Circuit Park No. 11 (Apr17-18)

Route three: Yuanshen Stadium Pudong to Shanghai International Circuit Park No. 8 (Apr 16-18)

Route four: Hongkou Football Stadium to Shanghai International Circuit Park No. 14 (Apr 16-18)

Best solution: A taxi costs around RMB200. Get four of you in one, buy the driver a KFC and tell him to come back and pick you up at a certain time and point – works every year.

How the title favorites are gearing up

Fernando Alonso

Nationality: Spanish

Team: Scuderia Ferrari

Position last season: 9th

2010 odds: 7/2

The two-time World Champion has left Renault to join Ferrari, which means Hamilton-hater numero uno will be behind the wheel of a machine that has the potential to pass his ex-teammate. Their red hot rivalry is personal as well as professional – expect some fireworks. 

Lewis Hamilton

Nationality: British

Team: McLaren Mercedes

Position last season: 5th 

2010 odds: 13/5

The youngest ever F1 World Champion, boy wonder turned to boy blunder last year. His uncharacteristic errors were confounded by an inferior car earlier in the season, but a subsequent engineering upturn leaves him in pole position in 2010.

Michael Schumacher

Nationality: German

Team: Mercedes GP

Position season: N/A

2010 odds: 4/1

Back after a three-year break from the sport Schumacher is, according to the official F1 Web site, “statistically the greatest driver the sport has ever seen.” Driving for bought-out 2009 Constructors’ Championship winners, the stage is set for a spectacular season.

Sebastian Vettel

Nationality: German

Team: Red Bull

Racing Position last season: 2nd

2010 odds: 11/2

The youngest driver at a Grand Prix meeting, the youngest to score points, the youngest to secure pole position and the youngest race winner. In 2009 he became the youngest Championship Runner-up in history. Will he be the youngest ever F1 World Champion in 2010?

Felipe Massa

Nationality: Brazilian

Team: Scuderia Ferrari

Position last season: 11th

2010 odds: 8/1

Suffering a skull fracture during a crash at the Hungarian Grand Prix back in July, the 2008 runner-up underwent lifesaving surgery and missed the rest of the 2009 season. He got straight back on the horsepower though, and has been pacy in pre-season practise.

Jenson Button

Nationality: British

Team: McLaren Mercedes

Position last season: 1st

2010 odds: 9/1

Following the buy-out of Brawn by Mercedes, the 2009 Champion announced he’d be leaving them to join McLaren, insisting that he was looking for a new challenge. A big question mark hangs over his place in the pecking order (behind Hamilton, it is presumed).

Nico Rosberg

Nationality: German

Team: Mercedes GP Position last season: 7th 2010 odds: 12/1 Taking Button’s place behind the wheel at Mercedes GP, Rosberg left Williams because “I’m not sure they can win races at the moment and I would like to.” A solid understaning of the sport right there. If Mercedes can take up where Brawn left off, he probably will too.

Yes, yes, finally the might of Africa, host continent of the 2002 World Cup, has found its voice in our ongoing World Cup Fanzone, where we catch up with Shanghai-based fans of each nation to find out about their loves and loathes, expectations for the summer, highs and lows from yesteryear, what they'll be singing and where they'll be singing it, and which of their heroes is ultimately going to blow it.

Our very own Indomitable Lion is a Shooter and a Galacticos God, SPL Cup Final winning goalscorer, Easy Liese.

FIFA World Ranking: 20^th
Odds: 100/1
Nickname: The Indomitable Lions
Qualified: Top of African Group A
Group: Group E: Netherlands / Denmark / Japan / Cameroon

Greatest moment: It goes without saying that Cameroon gained world renown thanks to World Cup Italia 90. Every cabbie in China is happy to tell me about “Milla Da Shu”, Roger Milla and the Makossa Dance after his spectacular 4 goals. The result? Cameroon writes its name in the annals of history and is forever a footballing power to be reckoned with. The greatest moment of all came at the very beginning. In the opening game of the tournament The Indomitable Lions take on Argentina, World Cup holders from Mexico 86, with today's team Coach Diego Maradona the greatest player on grass. We were unknown to the wider world - who the hell are Cameroon? But in the the 67th minute a free kick from the left by Cyril Makanaki is deflected and Oman Biyick came from nowhere and, up like a salmon, did what he always did best. Pick that one out of the net Pumpido!  David just slew Goliath and Africa explodes! Enjoy that moment again right here.