After some pit stops - there is a graphic that displays the number of liters of fuel that was added during that particular stop. Where does that data come from? It seems odd that a team would want to have that information disclosed - or is that some sort of f1 rule?

jshine - 11 May 2008 10:13 AM

After some pit stops - there is a graphic that displays the number of liters of fuel that was added during that particular stop. Where does that data come from? It seems odd that a team would want to have that information disclosed - or is that some sort of f1 rule?

It's just an estimate, and are not exact numbers. Since the fuel delivery systems are standardized as per the FIA's rules, it's possible to get a good idea of how much fuel went in the car simply by timing the length of time the system is used during a pitstop.

Since the fuel rigs are pressurized and not gravity flow, the flow rate is consistent from team to team and throughout the race no matter how much fuel is in the rig. It is possible, therefore, to measure the time the nzzle is in the car, and therefore the amount of fuel added. But, as Ranma said, it is an estimate based on those known measurements.

Formula 1 fuel from the pressurized refueling rigs flows at 12 liters per second. Sometimes you will hear Steve Matchett talking about timing the fueling process (or not being able to do so because of a camera shot that obscures the fueler) during the race broadcasts.