Special brew
‘It’s part science and part art, in the sense of understanding how the differences will react in the combustion chamber’
Formula 1’s increasingly restrictive regulations have effectively blocked off loopholes of the type that once enabled engineers to find two seconds per lap (or even more) simply by varying the shape of underbody venturis.
Thus, improvements are eked out in incremental steps measured in tenths (or even hundredths) of a second, with virtually every area of a car coming under constant scrutiny in the hope of finding a number of tiny improvements that collectively deliver that elusive magic second. Over a season teams generally improve by around two seconds, equating to 20 or so of these tiny steps.
Although the historic focus has primarily been on aerodynamics, a new battle front has recently emerged: relentless power unit development, and hand in hand with this bespoke fuels that optimise internal combustion engine performance. However, as with the aerodynamic regulations, stringent restrictions on the formulation of fuels also apply.
As with the aerodynamic regulations, stringent restrictions on the formulation of fuels also apply
‘It’s actually quite restrictive,’ says David Tsurusaki, global motorsport technology manager for ExxonMobil, which is Red Bull Racing-Honda’s fuel and lubrication partner.
