When the season opens we get the first chance to see the cars more clearly, unobstructed by the screens and covers used in testing. And this year, with rule changes having little visual effect on the car, the main differences are all in the details.
The single tyre supply has already affected the car design and is now throwing up new options for race strategies on soft tyres, while equally, no season could start without a protest about the aerodynamics of one team or another.
Tyre strategy
As result of the new tyre regulations the teams had more than just the new Bridgestone's tyres to contend with this weekend - the requirement for each car to run both the hard and soft option tyres in the race meant the teams had a new variable in their strategy.