The technical rules of Formula 1 change dramatically in 2010 with the ban of refueling during the races. This will change not only the look but also the performances of the cars.
Auto123.com talked about the effects of that new rule with Claude Rouelle, a former Formula 1 engineer who has also worked in the ChampCar and NASCAR Cup series and who is now the President of OptimumG, a consultancy firm in motorsport engineering.
In a nutshell, the size of the fuel tank will more than double, going up from 90 to 210 litres. This is no easy task as increasing the height of the tank will elevate the centre of gravity of the car, and lengthening the tank will increase the wheelbase, two things that should be avoided at all costs.
"I think the engineers will extend the fuel tank instead of making it higher," Rouelle told us.
"With the exception of the mass of the car, there are three major components that will evolve during the course of a race: the weight distribution, the moment of inertia (due to the amount of fuel left in the tank) and the ride height," he said.
In 2009, the cars had a fuel tank of a capacity of approximately 90 to 100 litres. Cars started the race with about 60kg of fuel onboard, resulting in a car that weighted 655 kilos (605 + 60kg).
Things will be radically different in 2010. With an average fuel consumption of 2.5 kilos per 5km (source: Race Car Engineering), the cars will need to embark something like 155kg of fuel at the start of a Grand Prix (about 210 litres). The total weight of the car will be approaching 775 kilos (620 + 155kg). This represents an increase of 110kg in comparison to 2009.
"This is a huge increase," Rouelle said. "Such a high weight will overcook the tires if a driver is not smooth. I predict that during the opening 10 laps of a race the lap times will be some 5 seconds slower than the times done in qualifying. The teams will not be able to use the Option tires at the start of a race because they are too soft. The first stint will be done on a set of Prime tires that are harder and more durable, but slower than the Options. Such a high weight will also be very hard on the brakes. On the Gilles Villeneuve Circuit in Montreal -- a track that is incredibly hard on the brakes - it will turn to be a terrible challenge."
Auto123.com talked about the effects of that new rule with Claude Rouelle, a former Formula 1 engineer who has also worked in the ChampCar and NASCAR Cup series and who is now the President of OptimumG, a consultancy firm in motorsport engineering.
In a nutshell, the size of the fuel tank will more than double, going up from 90 to 210 litres. This is no easy task as increasing the height of the tank will elevate the centre of gravity of the car, and lengthening the tank will increase the wheelbase, two things that should be avoided at all costs.
"I think the engineers will extend the fuel tank instead of making it higher," Rouelle told us.
"With the exception of the mass of the car, there are three major components that will evolve during the course of a race: the weight distribution, the moment of inertia (due to the amount of fuel left in the tank) and the ride height," he said.
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| Monocoque of the 2009 Renault. The small fuel tank is located to the right, below of roll over hoop. |
In 2009, the cars had a fuel tank of a capacity of approximately 90 to 100 litres. Cars started the race with about 60kg of fuel onboard, resulting in a car that weighted 655 kilos (605 + 60kg).
Things will be radically different in 2010. With an average fuel consumption of 2.5 kilos per 5km (source: Race Car Engineering), the cars will need to embark something like 155kg of fuel at the start of a Grand Prix (about 210 litres). The total weight of the car will be approaching 775 kilos (620 + 155kg). This represents an increase of 110kg in comparison to 2009.
"This is a huge increase," Rouelle said. "Such a high weight will overcook the tires if a driver is not smooth. I predict that during the opening 10 laps of a race the lap times will be some 5 seconds slower than the times done in qualifying. The teams will not be able to use the Option tires at the start of a race because they are too soft. The first stint will be done on a set of Prime tires that are harder and more durable, but slower than the Options. Such a high weight will also be very hard on the brakes. On the Gilles Villeneuve Circuit in Montreal -- a track that is incredibly hard on the brakes - it will turn to be a terrible challenge."