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F1 refuelling sucks

Posted: Tue May 12, 2009 4:10 pm
by Kristoffer Gjevre
http://www.f1complete.com/content/view/12556/900/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
...
The FIA also confirmed that, accompanying the ban on race refuelling next year, drivers in 'Q3' can refuel under parc ferme conditions prior to the race.
This change ensures the spectacle of low-fuel dashes for pole position, not affected by varying race strategies.
I hate the unknown of the fuel load during qualy, and even now when the weight of the car is published afterwards, it is still stupid.
Qualy should be void of fuel strategy and just be a matter of which driver+car puts in the fastest lap.
Looks like this is what we will get next year.

Re: F1 refuelling sucks

Posted: Tue May 12, 2009 4:55 pm
by Aaron Goldsmith
Kristoffer Gjevre wrote:http://www.f1complete.com/content/view/12556/900/
...
The FIA also confirmed that, accompanying the ban on race refuelling next year, drivers in 'Q3' can refuel under parc ferme conditions prior to the race.
This change ensures the spectacle of low-fuel dashes for pole position, not affected by varying race strategies.
I hate the unknown of the fuel load during qualy, and even now when the weight of the car is published afterwards, it is still stupid.
Qualy should be void of fuel strategy and just be a matter of which driver+car puts in the fastest lap.
Looks like this is what we will get next year.

They were trying to give the people who pay for tickets to the track on saturday more than just 5 minutes of the end of qualifying to watch.

Re: F1 refuelling sucks

Posted: Tue May 12, 2009 4:58 pm
by Will Kalman
Speaking of F1 refuelling, why is it that at the pinnacle of motorsport technology we can't get a smoothly detaching fuel nozzle? I cringe at every pit stip waiting for the time it takes an extra yank, the lollipop goes up prematurely, and a crewmember gets sucked under a rear wheel.

Re: F1 refuelling sucks

Posted: Tue May 12, 2009 6:02 pm
by Jeff Shyu
Will Kalman wrote:Speaking of F1 refuelling, why is it that at the pinnacle of motorsport technology we can't get a smoothly detaching fuel nozzle? I cringe at every pit stip waiting for the time it takes an extra yank, the lollipop goes up prematurely, and a crewmember gets sucked under a rear wheel.
i've wondered about this too.

couldn't they simply come up with an electromagnetic coupling that comes on and off with a push of a button?

on = "OMG it's not coming off"
off = "someone catch me while i fly toward the garage"

Re: F1 refuelling sucks

Posted: Tue May 12, 2009 6:08 pm
by Giovanni Jaramillo
Will Kalman wrote:we can't get a smoothly detaching fuel nozzle?
There's one and only 1 company that is FIA approved for the teams to use and they have ZERO control over it, thus tampering with it would be illegal.

Re: F1 refuelling sucks

Posted: Tue May 12, 2009 6:56 pm
by Steve Ekstrand
Why not require an interlock device, so that the clutch can't engage while the fuel door is open.

Re: F1 refuelling sucks

Posted: Tue May 12, 2009 7:21 pm
by Kristoffer Gjevre
Steve Ekstrand wrote:Why not require an interlock device, so that the clutch can't engage while the fuel door is open.
Seems simle... maybe the rules forbid it...
Ferrari developed the lollipop lights that they used last year... which caused no problems at all... :shock:

Re: F1 refuelling sucks

Posted: Tue May 12, 2009 7:23 pm
by Kristoffer Gjevre
Aaron Goldsmith wrote:
Kristoffer Gjevre wrote:http://www.f1complete.com/content/view/12556/900/
...
The FIA also confirmed that, accompanying the ban on race refuelling next year, drivers in 'Q3' can refuel under parc ferme conditions prior to the race.
This change ensures the spectacle of low-fuel dashes for pole position, not affected by varying race strategies.
I hate the unknown of the fuel load during qualy, and even now when the weight of the car is published afterwards, it is still stupid.
Qualy should be void of fuel strategy and just be a matter of which driver+car puts in the fastest lap.
Looks like this is what we will get next year.
They were trying to give the people who pay for tickets to the track on saturday more than just 5 minutes of the end of qualifying to watch.
Refuelling does not have anything to do with Q1-Q2-Q3, and I bet they will continue to have that arangement next year, but they will just all be low fuel runs instead of a loaded up fuel strategy Q3 which is my issue.

Re: F1 refuelling sucks

Posted: Wed May 13, 2009 8:02 am
by John Coffey
Although I've never worked an F1 fuel nozzle, I've worked with other quick release fuel nozzles and their design is such that they have to be pulled straight out. Its a basic design requirement for proper sealing with the spring activated valve and a positive seal. Any side load and the unit binds. Adding the pressurized system that F1 uses can only make matters worse. But looking at the slo-mo clips, I think the F1 system requires two tugs to get to remove it. The first to release and close the valve and the second to remove it from the car.