An F1 car must not exceed 1800mm wide (about 6ft) and must be under 950mm tall (about a yard). There is no maximum or stipulated length however other regulations and their effects on the car’s design & aerodynamics mean that there are de-facto limits and consequently the cars are approximately the same size.

Cars can have 4 wheels only, they must be mounted externally to the vehicle body and they must be uncovered. Only the front two two wheels can be steered and only the back two wheels can be driven by the engine.  There are minimum distances allowed between the wheels and the rear and front body work.

The main chassis contains a “safety cell” which includes the safety cell, a structure designed to reduce impact directly in front of the cockpit, and the fuel tank 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.

The vehicles carry sophisticated onboard electrical and computer systems. These are inspected at the start of the season and may not be changed afterwards without prior approval. Electronic starters and launch control are forbidden. The computers must contain a telemetric accident data reporting system.

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