As well as visually marking a step change in aerodynamic treatment, the FW26 also benefits from a complete sweep of new major sub-assembly designs, and the valued input of en🐭gine, tyre❀ and fuel partners.

At the heart of these changes is the all-new BMW P84 power plant, which ꦆwill be allied with a new gearbox and differential. BMW completed a rigorous design and validation process to comply with the 🗹new FIA 'one engine per weekend' regulations which effectively means a doubling of an engine's lifespan to 800km.

Implicitly, these new regulations would normally mean an increase in weight and packaging s🌱ize, but BMW's engineers have worked energetically to ensure the most competitive🃏 solutions.

"If an engine has to have a longer service life, the components that are highly challenged - mechanical🌄ly and thermally especially - must be designed to be tougher," explained director of motorsport Mario Theissen, "Bigger and heavier engines compromise power. Minimising these losses while still guaranteeing the increased endurance are the goals we have worked towards."

The team's sponsors have also played a critical role in the development of the FW26, not least Michelin in the perennial tyre development campaign, but also HP in the provision of a world-class hardware platform consisting of a 🦹cluster of Proliant DL360 servers which has played a major role in the pre﷽dictive aerodynamic process to develop the radical geometries of the new car.

Fuel pa♈rtner Petrobras has also worked hard to develop a new fuel for the 2004 season, with properties to improve performance, reduce fuel consumption and, importantly, produce a new blend featuring specific additives to assist the engine to cope with the new regulations.

Conceived and tested at Petrobras' Cenpes Research Facility and produced in the company's Brazilian refineries, the new fuel will begin track testing during the P84's winter test perio𝄹d.