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What's wrong with fuel temperature in Formula 1?

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Khatir Soltani
At the end of the Brazilian Grand Prix, the FIA officials declared that the fuel used in the two BMW Saubers of Nick Heidfeld and Robert Kubica, and the Williams-Toyota of Nico Rosberg was too cool.

The F1Technical Regulations states that "no fuel on board the car may be more than 10 degrees centigrade below ambient temperature".

Why fuel temperature is so critical inh Formula 1? This rule has been written to prevent the teams from freezing the fuel as they used to do during the mid-80s. Reducing the temperature of the fuel offer several advantages. Firstly, it reduces its volume, meaning that you can get more fuel into the tank of the car. Secondly, cold fuel can be injected into the tank more rapidly, therefore reducing the time of the pit stops. And thirdly, then engines run more efficiently when fed with cold fuel.

Khatir Soltani
Khatir Soltani
Automotive expert
  • Over 6 years experience as a car reviewer
  • Over 50 test drives in the last year
  • Involved in discussions with virtually every auto manufacturer in Canada