Anyone know what type of fuel F1 cars use, what the compresion ratio and how much fuel can a fully laden F1 car hold?
Depends on whether you are Ferrari or not - Shell have developed a new fuel with Ferrari that is lighter than the standard stuff.
The fuel capacities also vary according to manufacturer...
I thought they used Std unleaded?!?!!!?!? i maybe and are probably wrong
Fuel specs were clamped down on a few years ago since the mid 1950s it was supposed to be roadside pump fuel but back in the Turbo era led by
Renault and Williams most teams were running exotic high calorific value fuels that only had the ron number in common with roadside pump fuel.
It wouldn't surprise me if Ferrari & Agip had found a way round the regs it migh go some way to explaining why Ferrari always seem to have a
sudden increase in performance after the first pit stop.
Wouldn't that be due to new tyres?
quote:
FIA
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 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.
Hi,
I think that we can farley confidently put Ferraris maximum fuel load at around 26 laps of melbon for the time being. However the bet way to calculate
a competitors max fuel capacity is look at a circuit that is traditionally a 2 stop and take there times. And back calculate the fuel load. Equally
pre season testing when long run set up is being worked on will give you some good max fuel capacity estimates.
For throws of you who are particular keen might also what to look at breaking points of an out of position car to give you a good indication of fuel
load.
However if you are very eager record the sound of a car through a complex and you will be able to very acutely calculate the weight of the car from
the change up and change done points in the rev range. As the presets are linked to fuel load amongst other things this is best investigated when the
driver is just getting on with it. Not just after a start or if they are over taking.
As for compression this year is some what different to previous years but that is all I will say.
Fuel is blended and made to titter restriction that normal think water levels on the fuel standard stuff can have up to 2.5% water in it. A lot of the
additives are based on altitude, humidity and lubrication.
its not road fuel i no that much, i was talking to a mechianic at Minardi and he said he put some in his golf and then a couple of miles later it blue
a hole bigger than a golf ball in one of the pistions
, but b4fore it went he said it did make a big difference
Phil
i stood next to an open 45 gallon drum of the stuff,instant headache with 1 breath of the fumes,it aint petrol as we know it
quote:
Ferrari and Shell have too much to lose. there was a case last season where they used fuel from a wrong batch and were nearly hauled before the FIA.
Kelvin
That was just because the fuel sample at the end of the race didn't match the fuel sample used for qualifying wasn't it? In 2002 Petronas were developing fuel for their F1 efforts with Sauber. Them being the Malaysian national fuel company would help though. The components of the fuel are controlled by the FIA, that doesn't sound like pump gas.
toluene - 114 octane 
I saw an bit on 5th gear i think it was, where a (very) rich bloke went over to maranello to buy a ferrari f1 car. It was only a few seasons old. They told his to run it on pump unleaded, so it looks like they can run on it. Im not sure what fuel they actually use, but it cant be too far off.