After the current regulations cycle, Formula 1 may possibly return to naturally aspirated V8 engines. FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem has been lobbying for lighter cars equipped with powerful eight-cylinder engines for some time. There is a lot of support for these plans within the driver field, but also among the teams. To save kilos, refueling is increasingly being discussed, but the team bosses are much less enthusiastic about that.
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During the official FIA press conference, Racing Bulls CEO Peter Bayer was asked about refueling in Formula 1. Before 2010, refueling was a fixed part of a pit stop, but since then the cars have been running with enough fuel to complete an entire race. Bayer explained that the concept never added much to the sport. “I remember that, when I still worked for the FIA, there was a working group that investigated how we could improve entertainment and spectacle.”
‘Refueling makes F1 races predictable’
“Some people suggested bringing refueling back, upon which we dug very deep into F1 history,” he continued. “That showed that – apart from a few very spectacular and dangerous images – it added nothing to the sport. It only led to a lot of overtaking in the pit lane. So yes, I am not a big supporter.”
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James Vowles gave a similar answer. “First of all, I would find it a shame if I have to stand at the pit wall again in a race overall,” joked the Williams team boss. “That is just quite warm.” He added that races with refueling can also become very predictable. “You can almost exactly reason when a car has to come in. After all, you want to get the most out of your fuel tank; then the car is fastest. But that also means you can predict what will happen. For me, a part of the intrigue then actually disappears.”
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Read everything about the Dutch GP in Zandvoort here
