Todt wants to bring back refueling in 2021

[dans79]

https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/14475 ... refuelling

Speaking to British media at Silverstone ahead of this weekend's British Grand Prix, Todt said one of the things he wanted to evaluate was whether the return of refuelling should form part of the new rules package.

Refuelling was banned ahead of the 2010 season due to concerns from F1 chiefs about both its costs and the safety implications.

Todt said: "Personally, I would like to see refuelling, but I am happy to see a study on the positives and negatives.

"Cars are probably becoming a bit too heavy. That is something we discussed.

"I am pushing for analysing what it would mean if we reintroduced refuelling because if you reintroduce refuelling then you will have lighter cars at the start of the race and you can have smaller cars."

[NL_Fer]

Pro: Cars going flatout for a full race, no fuelsaving

Con: Overtaking in the pitlane

[Big Tea]

Pro: Cars going flatout for a full race, no fuelsaving

Con: Overtaking in the pitlane

That would be the case if it was obligatory, If teams were allowed to chose the start fuel, if they stop or stop more than once etc it would open up many 'pass on track' opportunitys.

Cars starting low on the grid and running very light would move closer to the front with actual passes,until they need to pit, and the option to fuel 15 laps light and fit very soft tyres when topping off would liven up the last few laps as there would be those who took the 'go all the way' option being reeled in.

It would need a rethink on tyre availability and compulsory stops to work though.

[Just_a_fan]

That would be the case if it was obligatory, If teams were allowed to chose the start fuel, if they stop or stop more than once etc it would open up many 'pass on track' opportunitys.

Strategies tend to converge so, within a few races, the teams would all be doing similar things.

[Just_a_fan]

Pro: Cars going flatout for a full race, no fuelsaving

That's not a given. Sure, they'll be a bit lighter, but will it be enough to mean that the cars can do the full race flat out on a total fuel weight equivalent to today's limit?

[bonjon1979]

Pro: Cars going flatout for a full race, no fuelsaving

That's not a given. Sure, they'll be a bit lighter, but will it be enough to mean that the cars can do the full race flat out on a total fuel weight equivalent to today's limit?

Doesn’t a lighter car shorten braking distances which means its harder to overtake? I prefer the lighter cars, I prefer the way they move and look on track. But will it actually have the desired effect? I remember the refuelling era, there was very little if any overtaking. It’s much better now.

[izzy]

Cars are low fuel already for half the race. Duh!!!

[Maritimer]

Theyll need a bigger engine allocation as well if they really want flat out racing. Lap time would get a little faster but then we have pit lane passing and even smaller braking zones and further PU management in-race. I doubt this would do anything to help the racing

[Scorpaguy]

Limit max fuel cell size (to assure at least one stop). Scrap fuel flow rate caps. Increase batt size. Abolish DRS. ...and then replace all of the kerbs/paved run-off areas with grass!

However, the "abject safety at all costs" crowd will never let this happen.

[roon]

ES is 20-25 kg. Fuel tank could be halved and ES tripled for equal kerb weight.

DRS gives incident free passing. I don't think the teams want to part with that.

[izzy]

ES is 20-25 kg. Fuel tank could be halved and ES tripled for equal kerb weight.

yes and that ES weight has been the same since 2014. there are far too many minimum weights, all over the car. They should let Mercedes, Ferrari, Renault and Honda have a weight race, they can afford it

[Just_a_fan]

Some interesting ideas presented. None of them will increase on-track racing / overtaking. Guaranteed.

[browney]

The fundamental issue is the downforce disrupting the car behind. Everything around improving the racing is a waste of time until the resolve that issue.

It stops strategy variation as there is no option to either put fresh tyres on later or have the car lighter because you can't overtake. The extreme example is Ricardo at Monaco last year. He could have had 1 year old tyres and vetel wouldn't have been able to overtake

[notsofast]

The usual routine in 1994 and 1995: Hill qualifies on pole. Schumacher is on his tail. Hill stops first. Schumacher stays out a few laps longer, so that he needs 1 second less of refueling. He then passes Hill in the pit lane. In other words, not much happened back then either.

F1 may have problems, but the lack of refueling is not one of them.

[Tubas]

I wonder if "daddy" would be so keen... The reasons we don't have re-fueling has always been one of safety.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1TnFLw0opMI