Next year's Formula One cars will boast new engines, new aerodynamics, and a new energy recovery system. It's enough to make your head spin at 18,000 rpm. So rather than pore through the rule books or have your friend attempt to explain things between pints, here are two quick videos to get you up to speed.

The first comes from Ferrari, and it's the best explainer we've seen on the engine changes and new energy recovery system (ERS). The big news for 2014 is the switch from a naturally aspirated 2.4-liter V8 to a turbocharged 1.6-liter V6. But just as important is the new ERS setup that doles out twice the power and has 10 times the energy storage – enough to boost output with another 160 electric horsepower for over 30 seconds.

The BBC steps up to discuss the new front wings, nose, chassis height, and rear spoiler, along with changes to the exhaust that will make it trickier to keep cars stuck to the tarmac. It's a lot to unpack – and that's before the teams find microscopic loopholes to give them an edge – but these videos are a good place to start.