Do you want Refueling back?

[Pingguest]

Recently I watched the 1991 Texaco/Havoline 200 at Road America. The race was won by Michael Andretti due to a better pit stop strategy, although Al Unser jr. was faster for most of the race. The latter even overtook Andretti three teams.

This race showed exactly what mid-race refuelling does to the racing: you don't have to be the fastest or best driver of the day to win. You just need a team figuring out the best possible pit stop strategy. In a racing series that is considered as a drivers' championship in the first place, there should be no place for mid-race refuelling. Besides, in my opinion this equally counts for tyre changes.

[strad]

Pingguest ...Right On!!

[komninosm]

Recently I watched the 1991 Texaco/Havoline 200 at Road America. The race was won by Michael Andretti due to a better pit stop strategy, although Al Unser jr. was faster for most of the race. The latter even overtook Andretti three teams.

This race showed exactly what mid-race refuelling does to the racing: you don't have to be the fastest or best driver of the day to win. You just need a team figuring out the best possible pit stop strategy. In a racing series that is considered as a drivers' championship in the first place, there should be no place for mid-race refuelling. Besides, in my opinion this equally counts for tyre changes.

Yes, clearly all teams being allowed to refuel is unfair to some of them /facepalm

Also note the new FIA rules:
"The idea behind the rear wing is that in certain parts of the circuit a following driver will get a signal that he can momentarily activate the control that opens the gap between the upper and lower wing planes, in order to boost straight-line speed by reducing drag. The driver of the car in front cannot do that, thus conferring a temporary advantage on the follower. The exact location and length of the ‘wing zones’ will be decided by the FIA, who are committed to making the technology work."
Yes, this is much fairer than refueling. /sarcasm

[becool70]

No, I love the strategic element it brings to racing, but without is safer and demands more skill from the driver.

I am also in favor of gradually reducing fuel load to acceptable levels. 200 liters for 300 km of racing is unjustifiable in this day and age.

These cars are the ultimate and should remain the ultimate!bring back the v10's I say.. who cares about how much fuel they waist? its a dop in the ocean of pollution.. what makes this sport succesfull its because of the "fuel burning" and danger so they should stop trying to kill our sport and let it rip!!!! enough is enough...

[chepoi]

NO!! i don't want to... reason... it does not reflect the REAL performance of the car...

[becool70]

I don't care they should stop changing the rules every 12 months, it's wasting team's money and no 4 cyl please... yuck!!!

[raymondu999]

Whoa. Could we please get back on topic?

[Pingguest]

Recently I watched the 1991 Texaco/Havoline 200 at Road America. The race was won by Michael Andretti due to a better pit stop strategy, although Al Unser jr. was faster for most of the race. The latter even overtook Andretti three teams.

This race showed exactly what mid-race refuelling does to the racing: you don't have to be the fastest or best driver of the day to win. You just need a team figuring out the best possible pit stop strategy. In a racing series that is considered as a drivers' championship in the first place, there should be no place for mid-race refuelling. Besides, in my opinion this equally counts for tyre changes.

Yes, clearly all teams being allowed to refuel is unfair to some of them /facepalm

I think you missed my point. If mid-race refuelling is allowed it's intended to let teams win by having a better pit stop strategy. There's nothing unfair to it. But it has devastating consequences for the racing, especially for a racing series which is supposed to be a (or the ultimate) drivers' championship in the first place.

[Ciro Pabón]

... not to mention that the pit stops nowadays are some kind of inexplicable ritual that has no other purpose that warping our minds into thinking that the pit procession is exciting and that it has something to do with tyres.

Actually, there is a third way, the South American way. Refuel should be "free for all". If you want a fast refueling car, then so be it. If you want to build a petrol tanker, then do it. Less rules, more racing.

Once it takes more time to read the rulebook than to complete a race, the situation is a "very First World, G-8, NATO or EU" type of thing. Bureaucracy in action. We all know that.

The issue, I think, is the survivability of the team. Financing is at the heart of this thing, at least in F1. If you make a mistake at the beginning of the year with your "refueling design", then the team (and the driver) are doomed, probably forever. That would be worse than losing a race by a technicality.

[Pingguest]

I can't see how to create a sustainable situation in which drivers can compete, despite having entirely different pit stop strategies varying from none to a multiple number of pit stops.

[becool70]

... not to mention that the pit stops nowadays are some kind of inexplicable ritual that has no other purpose that warping our minds into thinking that the pit procession is exciting and that it has something to do with tyres.

Actually, there is a third way, the South American way. Refuel should be "free for all". If you want a fast refueling car, then so be it. If you want to build a petrol tanker, then do it. Less rules, more racing.

Once it takes more time to read the rulebook than to complete a race, the situation is a "very First World, G-8, NATO or EU" type of thing. Bureaucracy in action. We all know that.

The issue, I think, is the survivability of the team. Financing is at the heart of this thing, at least in F1. If you make a mistake at the beginning of the year with your "refueling design", then the team (and the driver) are doomed, probably forever. That would be worse than losing a race by a technicality.

Best comment here... =D> =D> =D>

[Just_a_fan]

I'd be interested to see the option of tyre changes or refuelling. That is, you can refuel the car but must use one set of tyres for the race or you have to start with a full tank but can change tyres during the race if you wish.

However, I think that if that option were available every team would take the full tank with tyre change option...

[raymondu999]

I can see people designing cars that are hideously kind to its tyres and oging the refuelling route. Numerous benefits in terms of packaging etc too by virtue of not having to run a fuel tank that big.

[myurr]

I'd be interested to see the option of tyre changes or refuelling. That is, you can refuel the car but must use one set of tyres for the race or you have to start with a full tank but can change tyres during the race if you wish.

However, I think that if that option were available every team would take the full tank with tyre change option...

I actually like that but with a slight change. Cars can refuel or change tyres whenever they want, but they can only do one or the other on any given pit stop. This would give a real scope for different strategies to be employed and would magnify the performance differential between the cars throughout the race and hopefully give the drivers more balance changes to cope with.

[myurr]

That would even help with the problem of the pits being open during a safety car period. Most cars would be able to take advantage of either a fuel or tyre stop at almost any point in the race, but as they could only do one or the other for 'free'. If they did both then they'd effectively drop to the back of the pack by having to make two stops on subsequent laps.