1996-1998 technical regulations changes

Following a manual comparison of the 1995 and 1996 F1 Technical Regulations, here are all the differnces that I have been able to determine. Enjoy!

ARTICLE 1: DEFINITIONS

Para 1.17 - Cockpit padding.

This is a new paragraph stating "Non-structural parts placed within the cockpit for the sole purpose of improving driver comfort and safety. All such material must be quickly removable without the use of tools."

ARTICLE 3: BODYWORK AND DIMENSIONS

Para 3.4 - Width ahead of the rear wheel centre line

Additional sentence: "Furthermore, in order to prevent tyre damage to other cars, the top an forward edges of the lateral extremities of any bodywork forward of the front wheels must be at least 10mm thick with a radius of at least 5mm."

Para 3.8 - Height of the rear wheels

Bodywork, between the front of the rear roll structure and the front of the rear wheels, which is more than 60cm above the reference plane, can now be upto 30cm from the centre line of the car - was 25cm from the centre line.

Para 3.9 - Height between the rear wheels

New sentence added: "Furthermore, no bodywork between the rear wheel centre line and a line 40cm forward of the rear wheel centre line, which is more than 50cm from the centre line of the car, may be more than 30cm above the reference plane."

ARTICLE 4 - WEIGHT

Para 4.1 - Minimum weight

Minimum weight as been lowered from 600kg to 595kg.

ARTICLE 5 - ENGINE

Para 5.5

New paragraph: "Engines may have no more than 5 valves per cylinder"

Para 5.6 (was 5.5) - Temperature and pressure of the charge

The third sub-paragraph containing specifications of the engine air intake duct has been deleted.

Para 5.7 - Exhaust system

New Paragraph: "Variable geometric length exhaust systems are forbidden."

Para 5.8 - Engine materials

New Paragraph: "5.8.1 - The basic structure of the crankshaft and camshafts must be made from steel or cast iron. 5.8.2 - Pistons, cylinder heads and cylinder blocks may not be composite structures which use carbon or aramid reinforcing materials."

ARTICLE 9 - TRANSMISSION TO THE WHEELS

Para 9.6 - Clutch disengagement.

This paragraph was called "Neutral Selection". It has been reworded to say that there must be a means of "disengaging the clutch" rather than "de-coupling the driven wheels".

ARTICLE 13: COCKPIT

Para 13.1 - Cockpit opening

The front tip of the cockpit template must now be 625mm from the front wheel centre line - it was 75cm.

A new section has been added to this paragraph which, for the 1996 season only, allows 1995 survival cells to be used provided that they took part in at least 6 events in the 1995 Championship.

Para 13.3 - Internal cross section.

This section has been reworded - rather than specify dimensions for certain parts of the cockpit there is now a 'template' that must be able to pass vertically through the cockpit.

ARTICLE 14: SAFETY EQUIPMENT

Para 14.6 - Headrest

Headrests must now be constructed by a "material specified by the FIA" rather than specifically from "Confor CF42". The dimensions of the headrest and now more specifically stated. There is a dispensation that allows 1995 spec headrests to be used in 1995 spec cockpits (see Para 13.1)

ARTICLE 15 : SAFETY STRUCTURES

Para 15.2 - Rollover structures

Sub-para 15.2.2 now specifically states that the rear roll structure must be at least 94cm above the reference plane. Previously there was no specified height.

Para 15.4 - Survival cell frontal protection

Sub-para 15.4.3 has an addition sentence: "Furthermore it (the impact absorbing structure in front of the survival cell) must have a minimum external cross section, in horizontal projection, of 90cm-square across a vertical plane passing 50mm behind its forward most point."

Sub-para 15.4.4 has two additional sentences: "Furthermore, the parts of the survival cell which are situated each side of the driver's helmet must be no more than 550mm apart and at least as high as a line parallel ti and 220mm below the line between the tops of the two roll structures. In order to maintain good lateral visibility, the driver when seated normally with his seat belts fastened and looking straight ahead must have his eyes above the top of the sides of the survival cell."

Sub-para 15.4.10 - this is a new section specifying two additional static load tests that must be carried out on the survival cell on each side of the cockpit opening.

ARTICLE 19 - CHANGES FOR 1997

Para 19.1 - Changes to Article 15.4.6

This paragraph specifies further impact absorbing structures that must be present in the survival cell and the tests that will be carried out on them: "Between the front and rear roll structures, on each side of the survival cell, identical impact absorbing structures must be fitted and must be attached to it."

Para 19.2 - Changes to Article 15.4

Details of a new rear impact absorbing zone and the tests for it: "At the rear of the car an impact absorbing structure must be fitted to the gearbox symmetrically about the car centre line with it's rearmost point no less than 48cm behind the rear wheel centre line."

ARTICLE 20: CHANGES FOR 1998

This article specifies further changes to the survival cell, basically providing more access to and within the cockpit.

-- Alan Mynard --- VMark Software Ltd. eMail: mynard@vmark.co.uk \/o o\/ Power House, Davy Avenue, Tel: +44 1908 234990 \ | / Knowlhill, Milton Keynes, Fax: +44 1908 234992 |v| MK5 8HJ, UK