Aerodynamics is the single most important aspect of Formula One car design. It defined not only the entire shape of the car, but also the positioning of all items within it, like the engine, gearbox and driver. F1 cars produce so much aerodynamic downforce that they could be driven upside down at speeds of over 100mph.

Controlling the airflow over the car in order to maximise the downforce is a black art that makes the difference between the front and the back of the grid.

The front wing is vital as it is the first part of the car to come into contact with the air.

It affects the airflow down the full length of the car and even tiny changes can have huge effects on the overall performance.

The rear wing helps glue the rear wheels to the track, but it also hugely increases drag. This means designers are constantly working to use as little angle of incidence on the rear wing as possible without harming overall performance.

The diffuser, or floor, is designed to ensure the smoothest exit for the air that is flowing under the car. Designers come up with a huge variety of complicated shapes because the quicker the air exits, the more downforce the car generates, and the faster it will be.

Barge boards, or turning vanes, smooth out and separate the air that has been disrupted by the front wheels. They separate the flow into two parts - one is directed into the sidepods to cool the engine; the other is diverted outside to reduce drag.

All F1 cars are fitted with a 10mm "plank" made of hardwood as a means of limiting performance to ensure they do not run closer to the ground than allowed. If the plank wears by more than 1mm, the car is disqualified.

The mechanical parts of the car are those that make it stop and go. Like all aspects of an F1 car, they are designed and built with the most advanced materials possible to ensure they perform to the absolute optimum.

A Formula One engine is a miracle of modern engineering.

The best of these three-litre, normally aspirated V10s rev to nearly 19,000rpm and produce just under 900bhp. And they weigh around 100kg.

That is twice the engine capacity of a typical family saloon, but more than three times as many revs and eight times more power - and less than half the weight.

The gearboxes have six or seven gears which change in milliseconds.

The clutch paddle, which is usually on the steering wheel, is used by the drivers only at the start as part of the automatic starting procedure.

It can also be activated to prevent the car stalling if the driver spins.

Once the car is in motion, the clutch is operated electronically by the complicated gearbox software.

Close control of the suspension is vital. Wheel travel is less than 5cm and a dipping of the car by 1mm more than ideal under braking or acceleration can disrupt airflow and make the car difficult to handle.

The suspension parts are aerodynamically sculpted to reduce drag.

Braking is extremely powerful. High-tech carbon-fibre discs glow red hot at operating temperatures of up to 1,300 degrees Celsius. They can slow a car from 180mph to 50mph in less than two seconds.

Tyres can have a bigger impact on an F1 car's speed than any other single element.

They have four grooves to keep cornering speeds under control and are mounted on lightweight aluminium wheel rims. These are attached to the car by a single nut, for speed of changing at pit stops.

An F1 fuel tank is a crushable yet bullet-proof structure, housed inside the chassis behind the driver. It is made of Kevlar to prevent it being punctured in an accident.

Size is not governed by rules, and designers have to decide whether to go for a small tank, which may improve ultimate performance, or have a larger one which provides greater tactical freedom in races.

The oil tank used to be housed between the engine and gearbox, but is now recessed into the back of the chassis in front of the engine.

This provides better performance, in terms of both the car's weight distribution, and oil pick-up.

F1 cars are so high-tech that they cannot operate without state-of-the art, computer-controlled electronic systems. These control most parts of the car, including the engine, gearbox and driver-aid systems like traction control and launch control.

Traction control is an electronically-controlled driver aid that stops the rear wheels spinning, ensuring maximum accleration. Many say it detracts too much from the skill of the driver and makes the cars too easy to drive. Traction control is scheduled to be banned from the British GP

The cockpit is far more than just the place the driver sits and drives. It is also a super-strong survival cell that minimises the chances of injury in accidents and also an operations centre from which the driver can control many of the car's control systems.

The steering wheel is one of the most complex pieces of equipment on a Formula One car. Through it, the driver controls many of the systems of the car.

Formula One drivers are cocooned in an immensely strong "survival cell" of space-age materials like Kevlar and carbon-fibre.