Formula One regulations
The numerous Formula One regulations, made and enforced by the FIA, have changed dramatically since the first Formula One World Championship in 1950. There are two main types of regulations; technical and sporting. Technical regulations are related to car specifications, such as the chassis or the engine. Meanwhile, sporting regulations involve race procedures and set rules that pertain to the sport as a whole. This article covers the current state of F1 technical and sporting regulations, as well as the history of the technical regulations since 1950.
Current rules and regulations
Technical
Chassis
An F1 car can be no more than 200 cm wide and 95 cm tall. Though there is no maximum length, other rules set indirect limits on these dimensions, and nearly every aspect of the car carries size regulations; consequently the various cars tend to be very close to the same size. The car and driver must together weigh at least 800 kg as of 2025.The car must only have four wheels mounted externally of the body work with only the front 2 steered and only the back 2 driven. The maximum distance allowed between the front and rear wheels is 360 cm.
The main chassis contains a "safety cell" which includes the cockpit, a structure designed to reduce impact directly in front of the cockpit, and the fuel cell directly behind the cockpit. Additionally, the car must contain roll structures behind and ahead of the driver. The driver must be able to enter and exit the cockpit without any adjustments other than removing the steering wheel.
There are also mandatory crash test standards. There is a head-on impact into a steel barrier; "average deceleration must not exceed 25g", with a maximum 60g for a minimum 3 milliseconds, with no damage to the chassis beyond the nose section. The same chassis must then sustain a rear impact from a sled travelling at, with no damage in front of the rear axle. The roll hoop is not permitted to crush beyond, and structural failure is only permitted in the top of the body. Side impacts by a object at must be decelerated at less than 20g, and absorb no less than 15% and no more than 35% of the total energy; can not be exceeded more than 3 milliseconds. The steering wheel must survive the impact of an -diameter object at with no deformation of the wheel or damage to the quick-release mechanism.
In addition, there are "squeeze tests" on the cockpit sides, fuel tank, and nosebox. The cockpit must survive a force with no failure; for the fuel tank, is applied. A maximum deformation is allowed. For the cockpit rim, the figures are and. The nosebox must withstand for 30 seconds without failing.
Onboard electrical and computer systems, once inspected at the start of the season, may not be changed without prior approval. Electronic starters and launch control are forbidden. The computers must contain a telemetric accident data reporting system.
Continuously variable transmissions have been banned since 1994, two weeks after very successful tests in the Williams FW15C in 1993 that proved CVTs had the potential to keep other teams at a competitive disadvantage for a long time due to the difficulties of designing sufficiently strong belts for use in CVTs. It was speculated that the use of a CVT alone led to an advantage of several seconds per lap. CVTs have never been used in Formula 1 races. A rule was added in 1994 that stated that gearboxes must have anywhere from 2 to 7 discrete gear ratios, alongside a clause that explicitly bans CVTs. Active suspensions were also banned in 1994 due to safety concerns by the FIA over ever-higher speeds, and other "driver aids" were also banned that same year, including 4-wheel steering, which was tested and found to provide negligible if any reduction in lap times.
Since 2014, transmissions with 8 gear ratios and 1 reverse gear ratio are required in Formula 1 cars.
Engine
2.4-litre V8 engines were used in the 2013 season. The engine technology was greatly changed from the 2014 season with the introduction of the 1.6-litre turbocharged V6-hybrid engine. The engine minimum weight is 145 kg.| Year | 2000–2005 | 2006–2013 | 2014–2025 |
| Size | 3.0-litre | 2.4-litre | 1.6-litre |
| Type of engine | V10 | V8 | V6 |
| Fuel-limit per race | No limit | No limit | 100 – 110 kg |
| Fuel-flow rate | No limit | No limit | 100 kg/h above 10,500 RPM |
| Fuel-injection pressure limit | No limit | No limit | 500 bar |
| Engine RPM limit | No limit | 18,000 – 20,500 | 15,000 |
| Power Output | 770 – 1000 hp | 730 – 840 hp | 750 – 1000 hp |
For the 2017 season, the fuel limit per race was increased to 105 kg. For the 2019 season, the limit was again increased to 110 kg. The power outputs of F1 engines have not been disclosed since the 1990s, however, the consensus is that the 1.6 L turbocharged V-6 engines produce 750 to 850 bhp, depending on trims and mappings. Another radical change in 2014 was the introduction of the ERS. This system works similarly to KERS, with drivers getting a full-time boost of about 160 bhp from electric motors used in conjunction with the internal combustion engine instead of a 6-second bank of extra power per lap. The combination of these systems led to the term power unit being used in lieu of engine.
Devices designed to inject any substance into the cylinders other than air and fuel are forbidden, as are variable-length intake and exhaust systems. The crankshaft and camshafts must be made of steel or cast iron. The use of carbon composite materials for the cylinder block, cylinder head and pistons is not allowed. 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.
The engines, now referred to as power units, are divided into 6 components: the internal combustion engine ; turbocharger ; Motor Generator Unit-Kinetic, which harvests energy that would normally be wasted under braking; Motor Generator Unit-Heat, which collects energy in the form of heat as it is expelled through the exhaust; Energy Store, which functions as batteries, holding the energy gathered by the Motor Generator Units; and Control Electronics, which includes the Electronic Control Unit and software used to manage the entire power unit. In 2015, each driver was allowed to use up to four of each component during a season that is up to 20 scheduled races in length; a fifth power unit could be used without penalty if more than 20 races are scheduled to take place. A ten-place starting grid penalty was applicable for the use of a power unit component used beyond the established allocation, and a pit lane start for the entire unit changes beyond the limit.
*Note: The density of fuel here varies, but is approximately between 0.7 – 0.77 g/mL. **
Refuelling
From 2010, refuelling is no longer permitted during the race and now every car starts with a full fuel load. The 2010 season cars were about 22 cm longer than 2009 cars to accommodate the enlarged fuel tank this necessitated.Tyres
Formula 1 has contracted a single supplier of tyres since the 2007 season. The supplier supplies 6 specifications of slick dry-weather tyres, of which 3 compounds are provided at each race. Pirelli introduced a softer C6 compound for the 2025 season. From to, 2 types of dry tyres were provided at each race weekend, known as the Prime and the Option. Teams are supplied with more sets of Prime tyres than Option tyres for use throughout the weekend. The Prime tyre is usually harder and therefore more durable than the Option tyre, while the Option tyre provides more grip and therefore allows faster lap times when the tyres are fresh. At some events the selection is reversed, with the Option tyre being harder than the Prime. The combination of longer lasting and faster tyres adds an element to each car's race strategy. Additionally, 2 wet-weather compounds are provided by the supplier: intermediate and full wet. From onward, 3 dry tyre compounds are brought to a race weekend. Since 2019, regardless of tyre compound, one tyre is designated as soft, one as medium, and one as hard. One set of the softest tyres is set aside for Q3 and two sets of the middle and the hardest tyres are kept for the race. Drivers select 10 sets of tyres for a race weekend. Each compound is differentiated by a colour-coded band painted around the tyre's sidewall and including the supplier's logo: red for soft, yellow for medium, white for hard, green for intermediate, and blue for full wet.Competitors are allowed only a limited number of tyre sets during a race event: 13 dry, 4 intermediate, 3 wet. Each tyre must be marked with a unique identifier for tracking and scrutinising during a race event. During the practice sessions drivers are limited to the use of 3 sets of dry tyres, and certain sets must be returned to the supplier before the second and third sessions. From 2014 to 2021, if qualifying and starting the race on dry tyres, drivers who completed a lap during the third period of qualifying were required to start the race on the tyre set with which they recorded their fastest time during the second period. Any cars that qualified outside the top ten may have started the race on any remaining set of tyres. This rule was removed prior to the 2022 season. Cars must race on any 2 dry compounds during a race unless intermediate or wet tyres have been used by that car in that race.
Prior to qualifying, wet and intermediate tyres may only be used if the track is judged wet by the race director. Starting the race behind the safety car due to heavy rain requires cars to be fitted with wet tyres until they make a pit stop.
Heaters may be applied only to the outside of tyres.