A Formula One car or F1 car is a single-seater, open-cockpit, open-wheel formula racing car used to compete in Formula One racing events. A typical F1 car is characterised by substantial front and rear wings, large wheels, and turbocharged engines positioned behind the driver. The cars are constructed of carbon fibre and other composite materials for durability and are built to withstand high impact forces and considerable G forces.
Early F1 cars were simpler in design with no wings, front mounted engines. These cars also required significant driver effort for control. Later improvements saw the introduction of lighter cars as resulted by metallurgical advancements, introduction of ground effect, and the addition of wings and other aerodynamic devices, and control electronics. The introduction of turbocharged engines in the sport along with higher efficiency, and energy recovery systems to boost speeds, led to faster and more efficient F1 cars.
Modern F1 cars are composed of carbon fibre monocoques with open cockpits consisting of a single driver seat and detachable steering. An F1 power unit, a 1.6 L turbo hybrid V6 engine, is capable of producing up to . This enables the car to reach speeds of up to . It uses a semi-automatic gear box with an eight-speed transmission and electro-hydraulic components for steering the car. The 18-inch wheels are fitted with slick tyres during normal dry conditions, and are fitted with carbon disc brakes capable of handling temperatures of up to . The wings act as inverted aerofoils to produce negative lift, resulting in increased down force.
The regulations governing the cars are specified by the FIA and have undergone considerable changes since their introduction in the late 1940s. The cars are constructed and operated by the constructors in racing events, though the design and manufacture can be outsourced. Since the 2000s, several changes have been made by the FIA, which are aimed at sustainability and cost reduction, such as the cap on car parts, usage of mixed fuel, and usage of energy recovery systems. It has also sought to reduce the downforce and limit speeds, while simplifying car design and improving close racing. Cars have also been made safer with durable materials, improvement in safety features and the recent addition of the halo.
History
The early F1 cars were simpler in design with no wings, front mounted engines, and required significant driver effort for control. In the early 1960s, lighter cars with aluminum chassis were introduced with the addition of wings towards the end of the decade. In the 1970s, understanding of aerodynamics began to impact car design significantly, with the introduction of nose boxes in the front, and air boxes behind the driver to increase air flow to the engine. The advent of ground effect cars in the 1980s, allowed a significant increase in downforce with a small drag penalty. With continuous improvement in engines and the introduction of turbochargers, the cars produced an increased amount of thrust. The maximum permitted width of the cars was with a front axle and wide rear axle, and the maximum width was reduced to in .
Following the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix, a number of changes were introduced, which led to the development of modern day F1 cars. A thick wooden skid block was added on the underside of the body to enforce minimum ground clearance. In the following seasons, several modifications were introduced, the underbody plank was lengthened and a tall, wide block was added on top of the plank to minimize the ground effect. The height of the front wing was increased from and the maximum height was reduced to above the reference plane. A step wise design was introduced with reduced side pods, engine cowling, and exclusion zones were added around the wheels to prevent any bodywork in the area apart from the suspension.
Since the 1990s, improved electronics were incorporated to increase the efficiency, handling and reliability of the cars. Since the 2000s, with computer aided design, teams have been able to produce more efficient cars, with several changes aimed at sustainability and cost reduction, such as the cap on car parts, usage of mixed fuel, and usage of energy recovery systems. In the 2000s, the front height was increased progressively to and the maximum width and height were defined as and respectively. Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) enacted further changes to the body structure over the subsequent years to improve racing such as changes to the structure and height of the front wing, and changes to the floor design. The governing body outlawed several structures introduced by the teams, including double diffusers, modified exhaust ducts, and extra aerodynamic elements such as sharklets, cooling slots, winglets and dive planes. Modifiable front wings were also trialled in and the drag reduction system (DRS) was introduced in . The latest rules in the late 2010s introduced simpler front wings, which reduced the intake of dirty air from the cars in front, and enabled closer racing. The underside of the vehicle was required to be flat between the axles with the wear of skid block limited to a maximum of during the race. The latest regulations which came into effect in with the intention of enabling closer racing, simplified the aerodynamic components, which reduced vortices, and created more ground effect.
Design
The modern Formula One car is a single-seat, open-cockpit, open-wheel racing car with substantial front and rear wings, large wheels, and a turbocharged engine positioned behind the driver. The monocoque is constructed of reinforced carbon fiber, lined with kevlar and fire resistant materials to protect the driver from high impact crashes and fires. The driver cockpit consists of single seat with a detachable steering wheel in the front. A halo safety device mounted on top of the open cockpit was introduced in . Two front and rear wheels are bolted to the suspension and the engine is mounted behind the driver. The front and rear wings are aerodynamic surfaces fitted on the extremes. The minimum weight permissible is including the driver, while fitted with dry-weather tyres and no fuel. The cars are limited to dimensions of in length, in width, and in height.
Livery
Prior to , Formula One cars were coloured after the nationality of a constructor, and as such would sport a standardised colour (e.g. British racing green, rosso corsa, Silver Arrows). The FIA allowed teams to have unrestricted sponsorship in 1968. The privateer Team Gunston was the first constructor to enter a car with sponsors, doing so at the 1968 South African Grand Prix. Teams began to rely on sponsors for funding as running costs increased, and as such their liveries began to feature major implementations of their sponsors. Following this uptick in sponsorships, it was very rare to see a team run with minimal sponsorships; one such example was McLaren in 2014. Following the debut of McLaren's special Monaco Grand Prix livery in 2021, teams began to design one-off liveries that would be run for one or more events, commonly celebrating an anniversary, sponsorship, or driver.
Components Engine and fuel
Since its inception, Formula One has used a number of different engine regulations. During the early years, a front-engine, four-wheel-drive layout was used with a 4.5 L naturally aspirated or a 1.5 L supercharged engine capable of an output power of up to . Progressively the engine capacity and power were reduced, and was limited to 0.75 L with compressor or 2.5 L without one during the late 1950s. In 1961, the engine was positioned behind the driver and the capacity was regulated to 1300–1500 cc with a power output of 150–225 hp without supercharging. In 1966, FIA increased engine capacity and allowed up to 3.0 L atmospheric with a power range of or 1.5 L supercharged with a power range of . While the basic structure and configuration of a Formula One remained same since the late 1960s, the power output of the engines increased progressively to at 12000 rpm in 1986. In 1987-88, turbocharged eight-cylinder engines were introduced alongside atmospheric engines with fuel caps for races introduced for turbocharged engines. Turbochargers were banned from 1989 with 3.0 L engines becoming the norm in the 1990s and led to the introduction of V10 and V12 engines.
The teams started constructing engine components using advanced metal alloys such as titanium and beryllium, which reduced weight and improved the efficiency and durability. FIA outlawed the use of these towards the late 1990s with only iron and aluminum permitted. The introduction of pneumatic valve springs in the same period allowed the engines to reach up to 20,000 rpm. For a decade, the F1 cars had run with 3.0 L naturally aspirated V10 engines producing of power with top speeds of up to . Though the FIA continually enforced material and design restrictions to limit power, the V10s in the 2005 season were reported to develop , power levels not seen since the ban on turbocharged engines in 1989. Before the 2006 season, FIA introduced a new engine formula, which mandated cars to be powered by 2.4 liter naturally aspirated V8 engine configuration, with no more than four valves per cylinder and banned variable intake trumpets. For the 2009 season, the engines were limited to 18,000 rpm to improve engine reliability and cut costs. In 2012, the engines consumed around of air per second with a race fuel consumption rate of .
For the 2014 season, FIA introduced 1.6 L six-cylinder turbocharged engines with a kinetic energy recovery system (KERS) to increase fuel-efficiency. For , a modified V6 configuration was introduced with a more powerful KERS. Over the years, FIA has been gradually reducing the overall allocation of engines per season and with the increasing number of races, each engine is expected to last for at least . FIA had also introduced standardization of certain engine parts and cap on engine components to reduce costs with grid penalties applied for drivers who exceed the allocation. As per the current regulations, a maximum of five power units are allowed per season. The engine is located between the driver and the rear axle and is bolted to the cockpit at the front end, and transmission and rear suspension at the back end.
The fuel used in F1 cars is a mixture of unleaded petrol and ethanol with a tightly controlled mixture ratio. As a part of the regulation change in 2022, the ethanol content was increased from 5.75% to 10%. Formula One switched to fully sustainable fuels for the 2026 season, following a similar change in the Formula 2 feeder series. Cars were allowed to be refuelled during the race till 2010, after which refuelling was banned. The cars are stipulated to carry a maximum fuel of 110 kg per race, with at least 1 kg to be made available to the FIA for post race inspection. Any abnormalities in the fuel or failure to provide the sample results in disqualification from the race. The fuel bladder is made of high-quality rubber lined with kevlar for protection against crashes and is located in front of the engine, behind the cockpit.
Steering and transmission