An F1 car may be no more than 190 cm wide and 95 cm tall, and the car together with its driver must weigh at least 724 kg as of 2026. Only four externally mounted wheels are permitted, with only the front two steered and the rear two driven. The maximum wheelbase is 340 cm. The main chassis contains a safety cell enclosing the cockpit, a frontal impact structure, and a fuel cell directly behind the driver. Since 2018 every car must incorporate the halo, a curved titanium bar positioned above the driver's head that provides protection against flying debris and direct impacts.
Mandatory crash-test standards are extensive. A 30 mph head-on impact into a steel barrier must not produce average deceleration exceeding 25g, with a maximum of 60g permitted for no more than three milliseconds. The same chassis must then survive a rear impact from a sled travelling at 30 mph with no damage forward of the rear axle. Side impacts by a 780 kg object at 10 m/s must decelerate at under 20g.
From 2014 to 2025 the power unit comprised six components: the internal combustion engine, turbocharger, MGU-K (which harvests braking energy), MGU-H (which harvested exhaust heat), Energy Store, and Control Electronics. The MGU-H was removed for 2026 because of its cost and development complexity for new entrants. For 2026 the electrical output was raised to approximately 470 bhp, producing an approximately 50-50 split between combustion and electrical power. The fuel flow rate is now measured in MJ/h rather than kg/h. Component allocation limits apply per season, and exceeding them triggers automatic grid penalties. Continuously variable transmissions have been banned since 1994; eight-speed gearboxes with a single reverse ratio have been mandatory since 2014.
Ground effect was banned in 1983 following safety concerns but was reintroduced for the 2022-2025 period under revised floor regulations. The 2026 regulations reduced its impact again through flatter floors and an increased ride height. The drag reduction system, a movable rear-wing element used from 2011 to 2025 to assist overtaking, was replaced for 2026 by Active Aerodynamics, a system in which both front and rear wings rotate between a high-downforce corner mode and a low-drag straight-line mode.
Since 2007 Formula One has operated with a single tyre supplier. Pirelli has held the contract since 2011 and supplies six slick dry-weather compounds designated C1 through C6, of which three are selected for each race weekend and labelled hard, medium, and soft at that event. A new C6 compound for high-grip requirements was introduced for 2025. Intermediate and full-wet compounds are also provided. Each driver receives 13 dry sets, 4 intermediate sets, and 3 wet sets per event. Cars must use at least two different dry compounds during a race unless wet-weather tyres are deployed.
Mid-race refuelling was banned from 2010, requiring all cars to start with a full fuel load. The change necessitated longer cars in 2010 — approximately 22 cm more than their 2009 predecessors — to accommodate the enlarged fuel tanks.
After each qualifying session, cars are weighed and placed in parc fermé, a restricted area where only routine maintenance is permitted until the cars are released for the race. Teams requiring significant bodywork or suspension adjustments, or a chassis change, must start the race from the pit lane.
The pit lane opens 40 minutes before the start. Drivers must be in position on the grid by t-30:00, tyres fitted to the cars by t-5:00, and engines running by t-1:00. The race start is controlled by ten red lights arranged in two rows of five, which illuminate in sequential pairs at one-second intervals before extinguishing simultaneously after a randomised delay. A formation lap precedes the standing start, during which drivers must hold their grid order except to pass a car that has stopped due to a technical problem.
Points are awarded to the top ten finishers at each Grand Prix. To receive points a driver must complete at least 90% of the winner's race distance, meaning a driver who retires before the end can still score if that threshold is met. The current ten-position points allocation has been in place since 2010. The fastest-lap point introduced for 2019 was discontinued for 2025. For races interrupted before 75% of the scheduled distance, a proportional points scale applies based on the distance completed; no points are awarded unless at least two laps are completed under green-flag racing conditions.
Stewards may impose five- or ten-second time penalties, drive-through penalties, or ten-second stop-go penalties. The most severe in-race sanction is the black flag, which signals disqualification from the race. Accumulating twelve penalty points on a driver's Super Licence within a rolling twelve-month period triggers a mandatory one-race ban. Gearbox-change grid penalties were removed for 2025.
Race marshals signal conditions and instructions through a standard set of flags specified by Appendix H of the FIA International Sporting Code. Electronic displays supplement marshals' physical flags as a primary means of communication at modern venues. Flags must meet minimum size requirements, with the chequered and red flags subject to the largest minimum dimensions.
A cost cap introduced in 2021 limits team expenditure on car development and operations. As of 2026 the cap stands at $215 million per season, up from earlier limits to absorb previously excluded spending categories. A separate power unit cost cap of $130 million was simultaneously implemented to regulate manufacturer engine-development spending. Certain items, including driver salaries and the compensation of the three highest-paid staff members, remain outside the cap.
Teams have historically sought to exploit regulatory loopholes to gain competitive advantages, prompting FIA review and often subsequent rule changes. Notable examples include the Brawn BGP 001 double diffuser in 2009, the disputed Ferrari power unit fuel-flow measurement in 2019, and the Mercedes and Red Bull power unit compression-ratio dispute in 2026.
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