Why was refuelling banned in F1? History of refuelling and previous accidents

Refuelling was once a key part of F1 strategy but was banned by the FIA in 2010.

For many years refuelling was a huge part of a Formula 1 grand prix, allowing teams to run lighter cars which would hopefully make them faster than their competitors. However, in 2010 the FIA banned refuelling for good, meaning that teams had to adapt their cars to perform heavier with a full tank of fuel.

Refuelling has been in and out of the series since it was first tested in 1957 although many notable incidents have happened over the years. So why was refuelling banned during a race?

Here’s why refuelling is no longer in F1:

Why do F1 cars not refuel during a race?

Refuelling during a Formula 1 race has been banned since 2010. This means that cars must have an adequate amount of fuel inside their tanks before the start of each grand prix to ensure they can finish the race.

F1 cars are now allowed up to 110kgs of fuel at the start of the race but are required to provide 1 litre of fuel to the FIA at the end of the race, otherwise they will be disqualified. Last year, Sebastian Vettel lost his second place podium at the Hungarian Grand Prix after being unable to complete a cool down lap due to lack of fuel and was unable to provide an adequate sample to the FIA for checks.

Why was refuelling banned in F1?

Formula 1’s governing body, the FIA, banned refuelling during the race in 2010, after safety concerns for the drivers. It had previously been impossible to implement the rule as the fuel tanks inside the car were too small. In 2010 the rules changed to allow cars to be 22cm bigger to fit a larger fuel tank to each vehicle.

The teams then had to consider fuel management as part of their strategy plans to ensure they got the best performance out of their cars. Before the ban on refuelling there were several incidents in the pit which were caused by cars trying to refuel.

Cost-cutting was another reason the FIA decided to ban refuelling. It was expensive for the governing body to be moving heavy fuelling equipment around the world to each grand prix, which added to higher freight charges for the series.

Cars are now pre-fuelled by the teams ahead of the race with enough fuel to ensure they make it across the finish line.

Source: Autosport