The FIA will make a new effort to ensure teams’ fuel systems comply with the rules after discovering a potential loophole which could allow them to exceed the flow limit, as reported earlier today by RaceFans.net.
At a meeting of the FIA Technical Working Group on Monday it emerged the FIA has concerns teams could use expandable hoses to create extra storage for fuel and therefore bypass restrictions on fuel use. FIA restrictions limit both how much fuel teams can use in a race – 105 kilograms – and the rate at which it can be consumed – 100kg/hour. An FIA-specified fuel flow meter measures the rate of fuel use.
However fuel movement between the fuel flow meter and the engine is not monitored. Concerns have now arisen that teams could exploit this by using expandable hoses to collect surplus fuel when demand from the engine is low. This could then be used to send extra fuel to the engine when the fuel flow is at its maximum.
The potential gains from this are believed to be small. The FIA plans to address it by developing a means of checking fuel system compliance to ensure there is no excess storage between the pump and the fuel flow meter, and the engine.
The subject of Mercedes’ contentious rear wheel hubs was not discussed at the TWG meeting. Mercedes has not run its recently-introduced design in the last two races after fearing a potential protest from Scuderia Ferrari over their legality in Austin, and despite stewards ruling the design legal in Mexico.
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