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Bodywork and dimensions
The size and dimensions of Formula One cars are tightly controlled by the regulations. They must be no more than 180cm wide. The length and height of the car are effectively governed by other specific parameters.
For example, bodywork ahead of the rear wheel centre line must be a maximum of 140cm wide and bodywork behind no more than 100cm wide.
The strict regulations mean that the teams inevitably end up with very similarly-sized cars. A typical car will be in the region of 463cm long, 180cm wide and 95cm high.
With the exception of the rear wing, moveable bodywork is not allowed. Furthermore, any system, device or procedure which uses driver movement as a means of altering the aerodynamic characteristics of the car’s bodywork is prohibited.
Cars may be equipped with moveable rear wings which allow the driver to control the wing’s angle of incidence (within specified limits) from the cockpit. However, during the race the system is electronically-governed and is only available when a driver is less than one second behind another car at pre-determined points on the track. The system is then deactivated once the driver brakes. In combination with Kinetic Energy Recovery System (KERS), this is designed to boost overtaking.
Certain sections of bodywork, such as the front wing endplates, are required to be sufficiently thick to prevent tyre damage to other cars.
Bodywork that flexes excessively can be used to gain an aerodynamic advantage, therefore specific sections of the bodywork, such as the front wing, must be sufficiently rigid to pass the FIA’s deflection tests. These tests were made more stringent ahead of the 2013 season.
Brake system
Formula One cars must have one brake system operated through a single brake pedal. However, the system must comprise two hydraulic circuits – one for the front wheels and one for the rear. Should one circuit fail the other must remain operational. Power brakes and anti-lock braking systems (ABS) are not allowed.
Each wheel must have no more than one brake disc of 278mm maximum diameter and 28mm maximum thickness. Each disc must have only one aluminium caliper, with a maximum of six circular pistons, and no more than two brake pads.
The size of the air ducts used to cool the brakes is strictly controlled and they must not protrude beyond the wheels. The use of liquid to cool the brakes is forbidden.
Car construction
The construction of Formula One cars and the materials used are strictly controlled by the regulations to maximise their safety.
The main structure of the car comprises a safety cell which contains the cockpit plus the flexible fuel cell, which is housed immediately behind (but separated from) the driver.
This safety cell must meet minimum size requirements and must have an impact-absorbing structure immediately in front of it. The design of the car must also include an additional impact-absorbing structure at the rear, behind the gearbox, and on the flanks of the car.
The car must have two roll structures to protect the driver in the event of the car overturning. One must be immediately behind the driver’s head, the other at the front of the cockpit, immediately ahead of the steering wheel.
The car and its survival cell must pass several strict impact, roll and static load tests.
Cockpit
The size of a F1 car’s cockpit opening must comply with strict specifications. Compliance with these specifications is tested by lowering a specially-made template into the cockpit.
In addition to this, the cockpit must meet numerous other requirements. A driver must be able to get in and out of the car without removing anything other than its steering wheel. Once strapped into the car with all his safety gear on, he must be able to remove the steering wheel and get out within five seconds, and then replace the steering within a further five seconds.
The car’s survival cell structure, designed to protect the driver in the event of an accident, must extend at least 300mm beyond the driver’s feet, which must not be forward of the front-wheel centre line.
Electrical systems
The electrical and software systems of all cars are inspected by the FIA at the start of the season and the teams must notify them in advance of any subsequent changes. All teams must use the same FIA-specification Electronic Control Unit (ECU) for controlling engine and gearbox.
All software must be registered with the FIA, who check all the programmable systems on the cars prior to each event to ensure that the correct software versions are being used. Electronic systems which can automatically detect the race start signal are forbidden.
In the event of an accident, each car must be fitted with a warning light which is connected to the FIA data logger. The light, which is situated on the top surface of the car, in front of the cockpit, illuminates automatically, thus giving rescue crews an immediate indication of the accident severity.
In the cockpit, every car must have a track signal information display, which informs the driver of circuit conditions via red, blue and yellow lights.
Engines and KERS
Engines may be no more than 2.4 litres in capacity. They must have eight cylinders in a 90-degree formation, with two inlet and two exhaust valves per cylinder. They must be normally aspirated, weigh at least 95kg and be rev-limited to 18,000rpm.
The only other permitted power source is KERS, which takes waste energy generated under braking and turns it into additional power. This is then made available to the driver in fixed quantities per lap via a steering wheel-mounted boost button.
Turbochargers, superchargers and devices designed to pre-cool air before it enters the engine’s cylinders are not allowed. Nor is the injection of any substance into the cylinders other than air and fuel. Variable-geometry inlet and exhaust systems are also forbidden, as is variable valve timing. Each cylinder may have just one fuel injector and ignition must be by a single spark plug.
The materials used in manufacturing the engine and its components are strictly controlled by the regulations. The crankcase and cylinder block must be made of cast or wrought aluminium alloys - the use of composite materials is not allowed. The crankshaft and camshafts must be made from an iron-based alloy, pistons from an aluminium alloy and valves from alloys based on iron, nickel, cobalt or titanium.
F1 cars do not have their own, onboard starting systems. Separate starting devices may be used to start engines in the pits and on the grid. If the engine is fitted with an anti-stall device, this must be set to cut the engine within ten seconds in the event of an accident.
Fuel
F1 cars run on petrol, the specification of which is not that far removed from that used in regular road cars. The FIA regulations state that the rules are ‘intended to ensure the use of fuels which are predominantly composed of compounds normally found in commercial fuels and to prohibit the use of specific power-boosting chemical compounds’.
All fuel must comply with strict requirements and prior to each race the teams must supply the FIA with two separate five-litre samples for analysis and approval. Additional samples can then be taken during the event to ensure that there is no discrepancy between the fuel being used and that previously supplied in the samples.
Fuel system and refuelling
The fuel tanks comprise a single rubber bladder. These must be made of materials approved by the FIA and must be manufactured by certain approved companies.
The tank must be situated directly behind the driver and directly ahead of the engine. All fuel lines must be self-sealing in the event of an accident and no lines must pass through the cockpit.
The fuel tank must be encased within a crushable structure that forms part of the car’s safety cell. This structure must be able to withstand very high impact loads as specified in the regulations.
The FIA may take a one-litre fuel sample from any car at any time during a Grand Prix meeting to check that the fuel being used is legal.
Impact testing
Cars must pass strict impact tests to ensure they meet the necessary safety standards before they are allowed out on track. The tests must be carried out under FIA guidelines and in the presence of an FIA technical delegate.
The cars undergo a front, side and rear test. The tests focus on the car’s survival cell, which must be left undamaged by the impacts. All structural damage must be limited to the car’s impact absorbing structures, for example, the side-pods, the nose etc.
The car’s steering column must also pass an impact test, which simulates the unlikely event of a driver’s head striking the steering wheel. The column itself must deform to absorb the majority of the impact and the wheel’s quick release mechanism must not be damaged.
Oil and coolant systems
The design and location of the oil tanks are strictly controlled to minimise the risk of oil leaking in the event of an engine failure or an accident. Oil may not be added to cars during the race.
The car’s coolant header tank must have an FIA-approved pressure release valve. The cooling system must not make any use of the latent heat produced by the cooling process.
Coolant and oil lines are not allowed to pass through the cockpit. They must also be fitted so that any leaked fluid cannot find its way into the cockpit.
Roll structure testing
All F1 cars must pass strict roll structure tests to ensure that the driver is adequately protected should the car turn over during an accident.
Safety equipment
All cars must be fitted with a fire extinguishing system that will discharge into the cockpit and engine compartment. It must be operable by the driver and must function even if the car’s main electrical circuit fails.
There must also be a switch to trigger the system from outside the cockpit. Its location on the bodywork is indicated by a red letter ‘E’ inside a white circle.
There must be a circuit breaker switch in the cockpit that the driver can use to cut all the car’s main electrical circuits. This is marked on the dashboard by a red spark in a white-edged blue triangle. There must be an additional switch that marshals can operate from a distance with the use of a special hook. This switch is located at the base of the car’s main roll-over structure.
All cars must have two rear-view mirrors, whose size and location must comply with strict requirements. Drivers must demonstrate to the FIA the effectiveness of the mirrors by identifying special letter and number boards placed at various distances behind the car whilst seated in the cockpit.
Seatbelts are compulsory in F1 racing. Drivers must wear two shoulder straps, one abdominal strap and two straps between the legs. These must comply with FIA standards.
All cars must have a red light on the rear of the car in a specific location defined by the FIA regulations. The driver must be able to switch this light on at any time. This is usually done in poor weather conditions in order to make the car more visible to following drivers.
The cockpit of the car must be padded to protect the driver in the event of an impact. In particular, the areas immediately behind and to the sides of his head, and above and to the sides of his legs.
In order to easily extract a driver from a car in the event of an accident its seat must be removable with the driver in place and his seatbelts fastened. The seat must be secured by no more than two bolts, which can be released using a standard tool issued to all rescue crews.
TV cameras and timing transponders
Throughout the Grand Prix weekend all cars must be fitted with at least five housings for cameras which are used to provide on-board TV footage. The positions of the housings are specified in the regulations and the one mounted on top of the air box immediately behind the driver’s head must always contain a camera. All cars must also be fitted with two timing transponders supplied by the officially appointed timekeepers. These transponders allow the timekeepers to record every lap time of every car throughout the weekend.
Weight
Cars must weigh at least 642kg (including the driver but not fuel) at all times. Cars are weighed with dry-weather tyres fitted.
Teams may use ballast to bring cars up to weight but it must be firmly secured to the cars. Ballast may not be removed or added during a race.
Wheels and tyres
Cars must have four uncovered wheels, all made of the same metallic material, which must be one of two magnesium alloys specified by the FIA. Front wheels must be between 305 and 355mm wide, the rears between 365 and 380mm.
With tyres fitted the wheels must be no more than 660mm in diameter (670mm with wet-weather tyres). Measurements are taken with tyres inflated to 1.4 bar. Tyres may only be inflated with air or nitrogen.
