Refreshing the formula

F1 reins in power with a new generation of smaller V8 engines.

Since the fatal crash of three-time world champion Ayrton Senna in 1994, Formula One (F1) organizers have sought to restrain speeds through various engine, suspension, tire, and aerodynamic restrictions.

The racing series is also struggling to restrain spending, with budgets at top-level teams approaching a half-billion dollars a year-a level sustainable by only a few teams, which makes it impossible for some teams with less in the way of resources to compete.