Tell me about Formula 1 fuels?

Question

Tyre war is now over, but you don't hear about "Fuel wars"
I remember Michael saying in one of the post-race interviews how Shell had come up with a new fuel which gave him "extra horsepower" Shell, Castrol, Mobil, etc....what constituents are regulated by FIA and what are the differences between fuel brands that give variation in performance?

Answer 1

Theoretically the fuel used by all Formula One teams is supposed to be `pump fuel', however, don't look for anyone from Ferrari to show up at a Shell petrol station on Collins St or Little Collins St, in Melbourne (if there is a station on Collins St) during the Australian Grand Prix with fuel containers. All teams bring their own fuel with them and it must meet the requirements set out in Article 19 of the FIA Technical Regulations. Two of the sub clauses are as follows::
19.1.2 The detailed requirements of this Article are intended to
ensure the use of fuels that are composed of compounds normally found in commercial fuels and to prohibit the use of specific powerboosting chemical compounds.
19.7.1 Before any fuel may be used in an Event, two separate
five litre samples, in suitable containers, must be submitted to the
FIA for analysis and approval.
The `new fuel' that Michael Schumacher may have mentioned would have fallen within the regulations and they are so tight, any benefit (over previous fuel) would have been relatively small. Such a statement would have been more hype than anything else.
Of course things were quite different in the early 90's when many of the teams were using exotic fuel cocktails, laced with chemicals that sent pungent odors through the pit and garage areas. At the time, an unsubstantiated rumour making the rounds of the media centres suggested that some teams started races with $30,000 worth of fuel in the tank of each car.

Answer 2

Surprising but true, despite the vast amounts of technical effort spent developing a Formula One car, the fuel it runs on is surprisingly close to the composition of ordinary, commercially available petrol.

It was not always so. Early Grand Prix cars ran on a fierce mixture of powerful chemicals and additives, often featuring large quantities of benzene, alcohol and aviation fuel. Indeed some early fuels were so potent that the car's engine had to be disassembled and washed in ordinary petrol at the end of the race to prevent the mixture from corroding it!

Over the years more and more regulations have been introduced regarding the composition of fuel, a move driven in part by the oil companies' desire to have demonstrable links between race and road fuel.

The modern fuel is only allowed tiny quantities of 'non hydrocarbon' compounds, effectively banning the most volatile power-boosting additives. Each fuel blend must be submitted to the sport’s governing body, the FIA, for prior approval of its composition and physical properties. A 'fingerprint' of the approved fuel is then taken, which will be compared to the actual fuel being used at the event by the FIA's mobile testing laboratory.

During a typical season a Formula One team will use over 200,000 litres of fuel for testing and racing, and these can be of anything up to 50 slightly different blends, tuned for the demands of different circuits - or even different weather conditions. More potent fuels will give noticeably more power but may result in increased consumption or engine wear. All of Formula One's fuel suppliers engage in extensive testing programmes to optimise the fuel's performance, in the same way any other component in the car will be tuned to give maximum benefit. This will likely involve computer modelling, static engine running and moving tests.

Pit-stop refuelling is once again a vital part of Formula One, and an integral part of modern race strategy. The fuel rigs are designed to operate as quickly and safely as possible, two-stage location and double sealing ensuring the best possible fit. The rigs pass fuel at the rate of about 12 litres a second. The hose itself operates as a 'sealed system', requiring air and vapour to be extracted as fuel is added. It is very heavy and requires one mechanic to hold its weight while another engages and disengages the nozzle. Another mechanic will stand by a fuel cut-off switch next to the pump itself. Leakages are extremely rare, although accidents have happened, for example to Michael Schumacher at the 2003 Austrian Grand Prix.

The car's engine oil is also worth a mention. It helps to perform a vital diagnostic role, being closely analysed after each race or test for traces of metals to help monitor the engine's wear rate

Answer 3

The fuels used by F1 teams are very similar to the ones that you find at the pump of your fuel station. The mix, however, is strictly controlled by the FIA, with quite a lot of aditives, like alcoholic compounds, being banned, and some aditives which are allowed are strictly limited in quantity. The FIA requests, at each race, the chemical fingerprint of the fuel that each fuel manufacturer provides, and the fuels are tested, I believe, after each session, and a driver is disqualified if the chemical "fingerprint" of the fuel in his car doesn't correspond to the one supplied by the manufacturer. There are cases when the fuel companies supply two perfectly legal fuels to a team and the fuel in the team's cars is declared illegal, because you can get an illegal fingerprint even by mixing 2 completely legal fuels. This happened at least once in recent F1.

I think that the octane number that the fuel manufacturers achieve gives the performance variations. Normal car fuel has an octane rating of about 98. Probably F1 fuels can peak over 100; the engines in a F1 car are much more efficient at transforming the energy from the fuel into work by the pistons, sent through the crankshaft, clutch, gearbox, differential, halfshafts... to the wheels. The differences are in how much energy is given by the fuel when it burns inside the cylinder.


I believe that the major oil companies involved in F1 at the moment are Elf (fuels for Renault), Shell (for Ferrari), Mobil (for McLaren), Castrol (I think that they supply fuels for Toyota), Petrobras (for Williams), Petronas Malaysia (for BMW).

Answer 4

Formula One cars run on petrol, the specification of which is not that far removed from that used in regular road cars. Indeed, the FIA regulations state that the rules are “intended to ensure the use of fuels which are predominantly composed of compounds normally found in commercial fuels and to prohibit the use of specific power-boosting chemical compounds.”

All fuel must comply with strict requirements and prior to each race the teams must supply the FIA with two separate five-litre samples for analysis and approval. Additional samples can then be taken during the event to ensure that there is no discrepancy between the fuel being used and that previously supplied in the samples.
The only fuel permitted is petrol having the following characteristics: Property Units Min Max Test Method
RON 95.0 102.0 ASTM D 2699-86
MON 85.0 ASTM D 2700-86
Oxygen %m/m 2.7 Elemental Analysis
Nitrogen mg/kg 500 ASTM D 4629
Benzene %v/v 1.0 EN 238
RVP hPa 450 600 ASTM D 323
Lead g/l 0.005 ASTM D 3237
Density at 15°C kg/m³ 720.0 775.0 ASTM D 4052
Oxidation stability minutes 360 ASTM D 525
Existent gum mg/100ml 5.0 EN 26246
Sulphur mg/kg 10 ASTM D 5453
Copper corrosion rating C1 ISO 2160
Electrical Conductivity pS/m 200 ASTM D 2624


Distillation characteristics: At E70°C %v/v 20.0 48.0 ISO 3405
At E100°C %v/v 46.0 71.0 ISO 3405
At E150°C %v/v 75.0 ISO 3405
Final Boiling Point °C 210 ISO 3405
Residue %v/v 2.0 ISO 3405
The fuel will be accepted or rejected according to ASTM D 3244 with a confidence limit of 95%
Different teams use differnet fuel brands.
RENAULT-ELF
FERRARI-SHELL
McLAREN-MOBIL 1
BAR-HONDA-ELF
BMW SAUBER-PETRONAS
TOYOTA-ESSO
REDBULL-CASTROL
WILLIAMS-PETROBRAS
MIDLAND-LIQUI MOLY
STR-CASTROL
SUPER-AGURI-NISSSEKI

Answer 5

Check out the Formula 1 race site that Speed channel has...www.speedtv.com I have found alot of interesting stuff there and maybe it would help you with the fuel war thing. Formula 1 ROCKS! Really miss Juan Montoya though, him and Michael fighting it out was always great!