New Rules for 2006 Formula 1 Season

The new rules for the 2006 Formula 1 season were released earlier this month and they make some pretty big changes, mostly in the name of reducing the cost to participating teams. In addition to the new 2.4-liter V8 engines, which are rev-limited to 19,000 rpm, the FIA has said that they will review bodywork to reduce downforce whilst maintain drag levels. In this same vein of increacing reliance on mechanical grip, tire sizes have been increased and slick tires are back. One of the big questions from last year was whtether F1 would continue to have two tire manufacturers and it looks like all of the cars will be on Bridgestones next year. Cars will continue to have only a single set of tires for the race and in addition to three-weekend engines, transmissions will have to last four events.

Of the more obvious cost-cutting measures was the reduction of the minimum weight from 590 to 550 kilograms (1300 to 1212 pounds). The reason for this is that all of the cars in the series have been well under the former limit and to reach the minimum used expensive tungsten, chosen for it’s very high density. As always, the astonishing thing about these number is that a standard small passenger car is just shy of 3000 pounds and yet produces less than one quarter of the horsepower of a Formula 1 car.