F1, Austrian GP: Ferrari and Shell’s work on fuel mass flow
To maximize the performance of the SF-26 in Formula 1, Ferrari and Shell have developed innovative solutions by carefully balancing the density of synthetic fuel with maximum combustion efficiency inside the engine. It is a crucial engineering effort that complements the latest internal combustion engine upgrades, which have also been designed to widen the operating window of the Italian car ahead of the Austrian Grand Prix at Spielberg.
Ferrari’s in-depth technical collaboration with Shell
Formula 1’s technical revolution also extends to one of the most fundamental aspects of the power unit: fuel. The era that began in 2014 officially comes to an end, bringing with it the departure of the 100 kg/h fuel mass flow limit that governed the development of turbo-hybrid V6 engines for more than a decade. Under the new regulations, the focus shifts entirely, as the key limiting factor is no longer the amount of fuel consumed by weight but the total amount of energy released.
The FIA has introduced a maximum energy flow limit of 3,000 MJ/h. This is a strict restriction designed to encourage technological innovation while simultaneously reducing the outright performance potential of the internal combustion engine by around 20% compared to the previous fuel mass flow regulations. Every next-generation synthetic fuel, after all, comes with its own specific energy density.
As a result, one of the biggest engineering challenges lies in finding the perfect balance between sustainable fuel chemistry and outright performance. In practical terms, if a team chooses to use a fuel blend with an exceptionally high energy density, it must proportionally reduce the maximum fuel flow rate to remain within the energy limit imposed by the FIA.
Teams are therefore free to explore different concepts, fully aware that every solution comes with its own compromises linked to the chemical properties of the fuel itself. This is precisely the technical territory Ferrari has explored extensively together with its long-standing technical partner Shell. The objective has been to investigate every possible avenue and make full use of all available resources in the search for a competitive advantage.
Shell’s contribution to Ferrari’s step forward at the Austrian Grand Prix
It is well known that the Maranello team launched several development programmes with Shell from the very beginning of the new Formula 1 era. One area of research has focused on ultra-high energy-density fuels, allowing Ferrari to carry fewer litres of fuel and reduce the overall weight of the SF-26. However, there is also an alternative approach: using a less energy-dense fuel blend that permits a higher flow rate within the FIA’s regulations.
Although this strategy would theoretically require the car to start the race carrying slightly more fuel weight, it could also deliver significant advantages that more than compensate for that apparent disadvantage. The main benefits lie in the combustion process itself.
This approach has the potential to unlock additional performance gains inside the combustion chamber, improvements that could ultimately outweigh any penalty associated with carrying a few extra kilograms aboard the Ferrari. Naturally, the new fuel has been developed with one clear objective: increasing the overall efficiency and performance of the car. Ferrari has no intention of slowing down its development programme.
The fuel development works hand in hand with the latest internal combustion engine upgrade that Ferrari engine chief Enrico Gualtieri recently confirmed. Rather than representing a revolutionary leap, the package should be viewed as a carefully targeted optimisation designed to extract the maximum performance from every area of the SF-26. The Red Bull Ring provides an ideal venue to evaluate these latest developments.
Ferrari’s goal is to build on the encouraging performance shown at the Spanish Grand Prix and carry that momentum into a race weekend that could mark another important step forward for the SF-26. That is exactly the objective the Maranello squad is pursuing, while fully aware that reproducing the positive results seen at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya will be anything but straightforward.
These latest upgrades are expected to provide an important boost, but as always in Formula 1, only the stopwatch and the track will reveal the true value of the work completed back in Maranello. The atmosphere around the Ferrari garage has been noticeably confident throughout the Austrian Grand Prix weekend. Even so, there is very little margin for error.
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