3 replies to this topic

[Keith Sawatsky]

I vaguely remember reading something a few years ago that the "composition" of the fuel had been altered significantly due to a rule change by the FIA.

Can anyone tell me what happened and why? I can't find anything to refresh my memory.

[PDA]

Up until a few years ago, there were few limits on fuel, and the Petroleum companies developed some very non-pump gasolines to enhance performance, and during the latter turbo days, to enhance fuel consumption. Since then, the FIA have declared limits on content and composition of the gasoline fuels used (see technical regs, downloadable fron FIA.COM). Each team must submit a sample of the fuel to be used for analysis at the beginning of the season, and a chromatograph "fingerprint is developed. At eacdh race. samples are taken and analysed, and if they don't show the same "fingerprint" as the originally submitted sample, the team is DSQed. This happened at the Belgian GP two (?) years ago to Maclaren.

[Rev Counter]

The regulation for fuel as far as I can find out is that it must have an octane number (RON) of no more than 102, the old five star petrol standard.
In the turbo days Brabham /BMW discovered that high levels of aromatic hydrocarbons such as toluene and xylene could be included in race fuels to greatly enhance their anti-knock properties, that is could be run at much higher boost pressures and stay within the 102 RON limit. This type of fuel was carried over into the normally aspirated era untill a few seasons ago when gas chromatographic analysis of fuel was introduced (as PDA states) together with an upper limit on aromatic content

[SlowDrivr]

From what I've read, the fuel F1 cars use is very close to what you get at the pump. It is actually the formula for what you will be getting at the pump in 2001 or so. Very close to what we have now, but changed a little to help lower emissions.