While we are left to speculate how the new owners will change the sport, there are some changes we certainly know about.

Firstly, there will now be 20 races due to the loss of the German Grand Prix. The European Grand Prix has also been renamed the Azerbaijan Grand Prix and its date has been changed to prevent a clash with the Le Mans 24-hour race.

All the action will start on March 26th at the Australian Grand Prix, with the season closing on November 26th at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

There will be several new drivers. Stoffel Vandoorne is replacing the retired Jenson Button for Mclaren, while Lance Stroll will be the second-youngest driver in F1 history when he debuts for Williams. On top of this, Rosberg’s vacated spot on the Mercedes roster has been filled by Valtteri Bottas.

Some teams have changed their lineup, too. Felipe Nasr has been dropped by Sauber in favour of Pascal Wehrlein, while Haas have removed Esteban Gutierrez and brought in Kevin Magnussen from Renault. In place of Magnussen, Renault have signed up Nico Hulkenberg from Force India, with Esteban Ocon taking Hulkenberg’s place at his former team.

With each new season comes several rule changes and this year is no different. F1 have made it clear they want to make cars faster in 2017 and will introduce new rules designed to do it.

Firstly, cars will now be two metres wide, while tyre width will be increased by over 20 per cent. The minimum weight limit and fuel allowance of vehicles has also been changed, rising to 722kg and 105kg respectively. It is hoped these moves will increase cornering speeds and create more exciting races.

The rear diffuser of cars also now need to be taller, wider and further forward and noses are being extended to 20cm, which should help generate more downforce. For the same reason, the height of lower rear wings has also been lowered by 15cm, widened by the same amount and mounted 20cm further back.

Away from the mechanical side of things, races viewed as being wet enough to justify starting behind a safety car will now operate from a stationary position, once the safety car has left the track and the surface is determined to be safe. Laps behind the safety car will continue to count towards the overall race distance.

Due to Rosberg’s retirement, his feud with teammate Lewis Hamilton is officially over and the Englishman will be seen as a favourite to pick up another Championship.

However, it certainly won’t be easy. Rosberg’s replacement at Mercedes, Valtteri Bottas, will be looking to make a big impact and the first few races of the season could determine who Mercedes see as the future of their team.

Four-time champion Sebastian Vettel can never be overlooked either. The German had a disappointing 2016 with Ferrari and the manufacturer will be looking to bounce back in style after several mechanical problems last year.

Max Verstappen is another driver who could be in contention this season. The 19-year-old earned first place in the Spanish Grand Prix last year and finished fifth overall.

Australian Daniel Ricciardo will be hoping to build on his third place finish in 2016. At age 27, Ricciardo now has plenty of experience and, with Rosberg’s departure creating space at the top of the leaderboards, 2017 could be his year.

With new owners, new rules and a new champion guaranteed, this year’s F1 season could go down in history as one of the best.  

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