13 replies to this topic

[LeMans86]

This is something that has bugged me out a lot this season: the whole new F1 is based around energy-efficiency and fuel economy. So naturally, a new gimmick this year is showing how little fuel every car uses during a GP.
HOWEVER, every race they show stats that I can't get my head around. Again at this race. After a lap of 10 they show the average fuel used per lap of all the cars. This lies in the range from 2.40-2.60 L (or %). HOW? 2.50 liters per lap on a 53 lap race, means that every car would run out of fuel around lap 40, a whopping 13 laps short of the finish. No way they use such a significant amount of fuel more at the start of the race compared to the end, fuel saving included.

So my question. What's up with that?

EDIT: So what really bugs me out is that they use Liters, Kg and % at will

Edited by LeMans86, 12 October 2014 - 21:10.

[MortenF1]

Fuel consumption drops as fuel is burnt off, as the car gets lighter 

[Maaarsh]

Shortly afterwards they showed a total fuel used graphic which was similarly bonkers in the other direction; suggesting every car would only need c. 70L for the full distance.

 

Probably best to just use the relativity of the drivers for passing interest. But agreed, very poor that they put such rubbish up on screen.

[Maaarsh]

Fuel consumption drops as fuel is burnt off, as the car gets lighter 

 

Fuel weight is only 1/8th of the total weight when fully laden. They won't get a 25%+ efficiency gain from a 15% weight drop.

[Stephane]

They get 100kg for the race and we are shown the consumption in liters during races, crap

[Hellenic tifosi]

2.5lt per lap means 132,5lt for the entire race. 132.5lt roughly translate to to 98 - 102kg, which is very close to the 100kg specified by the regulations.

[MortenF1]

Precisely. Easy to forget the graphic is litres, not kg.

[LeMans86]

Whoops, yes, they show it in liters. I typed it correct I see, but I Always thought it was kg/%, since that's what's Always talked about...

[Hellenic tifosi]

In any case, it is easy to make this mistake since it is really stupid to show the graph in liters, while the regulations stipulate kilos.

[Maaarsh]

Watching the replay now and the graphic I mentioned came up. Shortly after the 2.5l per lap graphic, a total fuel used graphic came up, claiming drivers had used 16.5 to 17 kilos of fuel at the end of lap 13.

 

These figures don't reconcile to 2.5 litres per lap or to this being tight for 100 kilos on a 53 lap race.

[Bleu]

That's because the rules don't state that teams must start with 100 kg of fuel, that is only the maximum number. Many of them perhaps anticipated SC which would have allowed to save enough fuel to go until the end without needing to save anything under green flag.

[Maaarsh]

That's because the rules don't state that teams must start with 100 kg of fuel, that is only the maximum number. Many of them perhaps anticipated SC which would have allowed to save enough fuel to go until the end without needing to save anything under green flag.

 

That argument would make an awful lot more sense if half the teams and drivers didn't complain they had to coast the whole race because of fuel saving which was the most critical it had been all year.

 

And it would make even more sense if it didn't come 45 seconds after a graphic saying 2.5 l per lap, which is consistent with c. 100 kilos of fuel for the race.

Edited by Maaarsh, 13 October 2014 - 19:56.

[OO7]

They get 100kg for the race and we are shown the consumption in liters during races, crap

In sundays race on lap 13, average fuel use per lap in litres was shown.  About 55 seconds later and still on lap 13, fuel used in (kg) was displayed.

 

EDIT:

Maaarsh has already covered this.

Edited by Obi Offiah, 13 October 2014 - 20:13.

[BillBald]

That argument would make an awful lot more sense if half the teams and drivers didn't complain they had to coast the whole race because of fuel saving which was the most critical it had been all year.

 

And it would make even more sense if it didn't come 45 seconds after a graphic saying 2.5 l per lap, which is consistent with c. 100 kilos of fuel for the race.

 

If the teams are convinced that there will be a safety car, they really have no choice but to underfuel, otherwise they won't be competitive. Of course, some teams may have underfuelled more than others.