More fuel on board… or not!
The fuel efficiency achieved by Formula 1's current generation of hybrid engines since 2014 has been mind boggling. And yet drivers still struggled last year to race flat out.
The FIA increased the maximum fuel allowance in 2017 to compensate for the extra drag induced by new aero rules. The amount of permissible fuel will once again rise this year, from 105kg to 110kg on the back of another aero rule change.
However, there will be no obligation for teams to use their entire fuel allowance, and some outfits may indeed decide to run lean in order to save weight.
Furthermore, while we're taking engine and fuel, on the thorny issue of burning oil for fuel, a stratagem used by manufacturers to help boost power, the FIA has imposed further restrictions this year thanks to a new clause that stipulates that teams must keep their auxiliary oil tanks empty during qualifying.
Why? To prevent engines from burning extra oil for the purpose of igniting the much talked about 'party mode' during one-lap wonders.
