John N
How big is an F1 fuel tank? It was simply a question I couldn’t find an immediate answer to! So after some research and a little bit of math, I hope this post can help Formula 1 fans answer their questions about how much fuel the car actually carries. In particular, we will look at: How much fuel does each team’s car carry on average per race? How much fuel can each car carry in its tank? How much does it weigh? What type of tank does the car use for fuel storage?
An F1 fuel tank is a big part of the success of any car, which is why teams go to the effort to get everything just right. To be successful, you have to build a good chassis and engine but that’s not going to win you the race – it’s your fuel tank that will.
A Formula 1 car’s fuel capacity is 110 kilograms. This fuel load has to last the car for the entirety of the race which is 305km (190 miles). The fuel burns at a much faster rate than normal cars due to the higher performance level the engines run at. A number of technological innovations have improved fuel efficiency. From KERS to hybrid power, Formula 1 is constantly pushing technology to become better.
At the end of the 2009 racing season, the Formula 1 governing body, FIA, banned refueling during F1 races. The ban came as a result of safety risks and costs associated with moving the refueling equipment around. Another primary reason for the ban on refueling during a race is a safety concern. In previous races, there have been leaks in the nozzles and faulty fuel pump mechanisms that have caused fires.
The rule on refueling is that cars are allowed to fuel their cars during any practice sessions and the qualifying session. The teams cannot refuel cars from session three of qualifying and after qualifying.
Modern F1 engines are designed to be more fuel-efficient than their predecessors. They utilize a hybrid engine that combines an internal combustion engine and two electric motors.
A combination of two electric motors works in tandem to produce about 300hp of power to complement the power produced from the internal combustion engine. The additional power produced from the two electric motors means that the internal combustion engine does not have to work hard to produce all the power needed to drive the car forward. As a result, there is a massive fuel saving on the internal combustion engines. The motor and engines work together to produce around 1,000hp. And this is where the actual efficiency of these engines shows; they produce around 625 horsepower per liter, more than any era of Formula 1.
In Formula 1 races, fuel tanks on cars can hold about 140 liters of fuel. The weight allocation for the recommended fuel allowance is 105 kilograms. Therefore, an F1 car would use about 46 liters for every 100 kilometers of distance driven. Therefore, an F1 car can go for a distance of about 305 kilometers, with estimated fuel consumption of 46 liters per 100 per kilometer. And since cars are not allowed to refuel, they need to complete an entire race on a full fuel tank.
The fuel F1 cars use is similar to premium road fuel, but with a more tightly controlled mixture. Formula 1 fuel falls under high-octane road fuel with octane thresholds of 95 to 102. Formula 1 fuel blends are highly tuned for performance in different weather conditions and racing circuits. To ensure that teams and the fuel suppliers were not violating the FIA’s fuel regulations, all fuel suppliers, namely, Elf, Mobil, Petronas, and Shell, must submit a sample of the fuel they will be using for a race for inspection.
Early Formula 1 car designs featured aluminum fuel tanks located behind the driver. The fuel lines ran past the driver to reach the tank. Later designs moved the fuel tanks to either side of the driver. This improved handling, since it distributed weight evenly, but posed a safety risk. If any damage were sustained to the side of the car, it would ignite this fuel and possibly burn the driver. In later years, flexible rubber tanks replaced these early models.
Today’s F1 regulations specify that fuel tanks must be kept in the rear of the chassis to keep the driver safe and ensure consistency across all competing vehicles. These days, teams focus on small details to improve safety features. Fuel tanks include two membranes made of Kevlar and polyurethane to ensure structural integrity. The 30-gallon (110-liter) tanks are hollowed out and ribbed at the back end of the chassis to protect all 30 sections of the tank. This safety design means that a driver can go from start to finish without refueling. To refuel, crew members insert tubes through openings at either end of the tank, one into a hole at the top for fuel lines and one into a hole at the bottom for a pump hose. The fuel tank currently in use is commonly referred to as a “fuel sack” or a “fuel bladder.”
The FIA regulations specify that an F1 fuel tank must be mounted close to the car’s centerline and positioned behind the cockpit. To optimize performance, it should be situated as low to the ground as possible. ATL designed a deformable Kevlar-rubber bladder that should hold its structural integrity in collisions and resist puncturing.
The fuel tank is one of the most important parts of an F1 car, and it needs to be safe, lightweight and extremely durable. It is carefully designed to hold a massive amount of fuel while staying as low to the ground as possible. This keeps the overall weight of the car down, but not at the expense of safety. Also, while they may appear large due to the fact that we are on top of them when watching in a track, they are actually quite small in comparison with a normal car. So next time you watch a grand prix and your gaze falls on a tinfoil-type pouch on an F1 car, you will know what it does.
