Summary:
""Formula One"" is a sport governed by a complex set of rules, and the new season is no exception.

Full article:
(CNN) -- For even the sport's most ardent fans, Formula One can be confusing -- it is governed by a set of ever-evolving rules dominated by talk of technical specifications. So if you are a sports enthusiast who is considering checking out the race action when the 2012 season begins in Australia on Sunday, it is more than likely you will have a few questions. Posers such as, "How long can a race go on for?" Or, "Why do they use so many tires?" Or maybe even, "Why does the front of the car look so weird?" Some of the changes are more technical, the main one involving exhaust diffusion -- a big bone of contention in the past two seasons. In the gallery above, CNN has attempted to explain and simplify the host of rule changes which have been brought in ahead of the new campaign so you can fully appreciate all of the elite motorsport's thrills and spills.