The new Formula One season starts this weekend in Melbourne with new cars and new rules

The new Formula One season starts this weekend in Melbourne - and fans believe that 2009 might just match the thrills of 2008, when Britain's Lewis Hamilton grabbed the champion's crown from Felipe Massa on the last corner of the last race. The sport this year will also undergo what's arguably the biggest shake up in decades. First of all, the international governing body of motor sport, the F-I-A, has mandated a set of rule changes that have, at a stroke, swept away much of the competitive advantage enjoyed by heavy-hitting teams like McLaren and Ferrari which have built up technical superiority through years of heavy investment. The changes in technical regulations come at the same time that significant changes are being made to cut costs as a result of the global economic crisis.