Motor SportWorld champion Kimi Raikkonen expects a fun season this year with more overtaking, given Formula One's new rules outlawing traction control.

Other enforced changes include gearbox and driver protection innovations which mean Ferrari's F2008 car, unveiled at their base in northern Italy yesterday, is heavier this year.

The weight distribution and wheelbase have also been altered after lessons learned from the performance of the Bridgestone tyres last year, while there is an almost completely new aerodynamic design which will be developed further.

But the lack of traction control and the potential for more crashes is the biggest issue for the world champions ahead of the first race in Melbourne on March 16th.

"Now traction control is not going to help you, but for me it will be a lot more fun. I think there will be an easier chance to overtake as people will make more mistakes," Raikkonen said.

"The sport is dangerous anyway. It doesn't matter if you have traction control or not. If you think it is too dangerous you probably shouldn't be in the sport. It is more tricky for sure."

Raikkonen said it was too early to tell who his main challenger would be this season given the new rules and Fernando Alonso moving from McLaren back to Renault, who struggled last year.