Technical regulations

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, height and shape of the car are effectively governed by other specific parameters. For example, bodywork between the front and rear wheel centre lines must not be more than 140cm 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 (commonly known as a Drag Reduction System, or DRS). 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 ERS, 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 could, in theory, 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 ever more stringent deflection tests.

Brake system
F1 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. Anti-lock braking systems (ABS) are not allowed - brake pressure must be controlled by the driver’s physical input only and not by any other system. The only exception is the electronic rear brake control system, introduced in 2014 to compensate for the extra power being generated under braking by Energy Recovery Systems (ERS).

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 F1 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 before the car is allowed to take to the track.

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 power unit 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 carries an accident data recorder and is also 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 (usually integrated into the steering wheel), which informs the driver of circuit conditions via red, blue and yellow lights (corresponding to the colours of the track marshals’ flags).

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 strictly-specified 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.

Exhausts
Cars now have one centrally-positioned exhaust compared to the previous twin outlets.

This change means the end of ‘blown diffusers’, where hot exhaust gases were directed over the rear diffuser to generate more downforce. Some teams, such as champions Red Bull who used the technology to good effect, have been more hit than others.

Fuel economy
The new units will use some 35 per cent less fuel than the previous engines, as part of a ‘green revolution’ in the sport. Each car has an allocation of 100kg of fuel to complete the race without refuelling, compared with around 150-160kg last year.

There is a also a fuel flow limiter.
Fuel saving will become a feature of races, with the electrical power generated by ERS coming into play. Driving styles and tactics will have to adapt to the level of fuel consumption.

McLaren expect races to boil down initially into three key segments: “An opening charge to establish position; a consolidatory middle-stint as engines, fuel levels and temperatures are managed; and a final burst as drivers with the machinery and confidence to push, press on to the finish.”

Power Unit
Put simply, what used to be called an engine has become something a lot more complicated.

The old 2.4 litre V8 engines, with kinetic energy recovery systems (KERS), that revved at up to 18,000rpm have been consigned to history and replaced by a power unit - a 1.6 litre turbocharged engine limited to 15,000rpm with two energy recovery systems (ERS).

The sport last saw turbo engines in 1988.

Teams are allowed five power units – each made up of six elements – per driver per season, compared to an allocation of eight engines last year.

A driver will have to start from the pitlane if he uses more than five entire units while each additional element above the allocation will incur a 10 place grid penalty.

KERS/ERS
The old-style KERS delivered a boost of around 80bhp for six seconds a lap at the push of a button.

The new ERS – two electrical motor generator units that harvest kinetic and heat energy from the brakes and single exhaust – does not require the driver to push anything and delivers an extra 160bhp for up to 33.33 seconds a lap.

Whereas a KERS failure during a race would have put a driver at a manageable disadvantage, an ERS failure will have a far more dramatic impact.

As a result of ERS, cars will also produce more torque at lower revs than in the past which puts more stress on the rear tyres and calls for more sensitive throttle control.

Gearboxes
The rules now specify eight-speed fixed-ratio gearboxes, one more speed than 2013. In the past teams could pick and choose from 30 gear ratios but now they must use the same ones all season, with one change allowed. Any further changes incur penalties.

Each gearbox must now last six consecutive races instead of five previously.

Aerodynamics
Front wings have become 150mm narrower, a move aimed at reducing the number of rear punctures caused by cars clipping those in front, and there is no longer a lower beam wing at the rear while the upper part is smaller.

The height of the chassis and nose (415mm lower) has been reduced for safety reasons, chiefly to prevent cars being launched in the air in the event of a front to rear collision and to reduce the risk to drivers from side impacts.

This has led to a variety of highly distinctive noses on the 2014 cars, ranging from the two-pronged Lotus to ‘anteater’ style fronts on others.

Noise
The new power units make a different, softer noise to the screaming V8s, which were introduced in 2006, just as the V8s were distinct to the previous V10s and V12s.

While the engines rev at 15,000rpm, the turbo will make its own distinct noise as it spins at 125,000rpm.

“The car will still accelerate and decelerate rapidly, with instant gearshifts. The engines remain high revving, ultra high output competition engines. Fundamentally the engine noise will still be loud,” says Renault’s Rob White.

“It will wake you from sleep, and circuit neighbours will still complain.

“The sound of the new generation power units is just different. It’s like asking whether you like Motorhead or AC/DC. Ultimately it is a matter of personal taste. Both in concert are still pretty loud.”

Double points
The top 10 finishers in the final race of the season in Abu Dhabi will score double, with the winner taking 50 points instead of the usual 25. This controversial move is aimed at ensuring the title battle stays open as long as possible.

Critics have accused it of being an artificial and an unncessary gimmick.

Penalty points/driver numbers
Any driver collecting 12 penalty points in a calendar year faces an automatic one race suspension.

Drivers have also been allowed to choose their racing numbers, which they will keep for their entire careers in Formula One. Previously their numbers changed from year to year according to the constructors’ championship standings.

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
Minimum car weights have increased from 642kg to 691kg to compensate for the heavier power units. Taller and heavier drivers, such as Force India’s Nico Hulkenberg, say the increase is not enough and they are at a disadvantage compared to much smaller rivals such as Williams’ Felipe Massa.

With every extra kilo impacting on performance, expect some drivers to look much leaner than in the past.