Petrol Companies in F1

[KK]

No offense was intended - just that when it comes to the details, things can get confusing. No, I don't know much about chemistry, but I do when it comes to physics (well, a specific division of which anyway).

[Guest]

Formula One today uses the same fuel regulation which will be enforced for European Commercial fuels in year 2008. The main characteristics are very low sulfur level (theoretically sulfur free), low benzene, zero lead and any additive not found in commercial fuels are forbiden.
The chalenge is how to get more power with that regulation!

[Guest]

Today was announced by Williams that Petrobras is achieving in the US GP the mark of 100 GP's supplying fuel to the team. Does anybody know for how many GP's is Petronas supplying Sauber? (If they really supply 'cause I've heard that they are supplied by Shell)

[Monstrobolaxa]

I posted the following e-mail a few months back when the whole fuel thread started. This e-mail was sent to me after I e-mailed Sauber asking them about the fuel they use.

The Petronas/Sauber partnership started at the begining to the 1997 Season...but fuel supply only started at the end of the 2002 season or begining of 2003 season! Not sure...I think the answer is also posted somewhere in this thread.

Dear Mr. Correia,

The Sauber-Petronas team is using both PETRONAS fuel and engine lubricant.

However, both the PETRONAS fuel and lubricant have to be approved by
Ferrari,
and therefore undergo the same Ferrari approval process as the Shell
products
have to undergo on the Ferrari engine.

I hope this answer is satisfying.

Best regards,

=====================================
Marc Bongers

SAUBER PETRONAS ENGINEERING AG
Engine Development
Wildbachstrasse 9
CH-8340 Hinwil

TEL +41 1 937 91 00
DIR +41 1 937 92 87
FAX +41 1 937 91 04

[Guest]

Dear Monstrobolaxa,

I am in Indianapolis right now and on Thursday I had the opportunity to take part in the pit walkabout along the garages. The sauber mechanics were handling some fuel drums (I am not sure if they were blue or green....maybe something in between ) and it was very clear on the stickers SHELL GLOBAL SOLUTIONS !

[Monstrobolaxa]

Well I believe you....but this was the e-mail Sauber sent me! Try e-mailing them asking if they use Shell or Petronas fuel...and probably you'll get an e-mail like this one! Is Sauber trying to hide something?

[Monstrobolaxa]

I just e-mailed Sauber back asking why there fuel is carried in Shell drums! probably they won't answer this one...they might think I'm a journalist or something!

But in any case I'm trying to solve the "mistery". But Sauber issued a press release at the beginning of last year saying they were using Petronas fuel and lubricant...up to now I haven't seen any journalist question the fact that the fuel is carried in Shell drums! And it public...even in there web site it says

the Team SAUBER PETRONAS has been using the PETRONAS F1 Syntium lubricant since 2000 and the PETRONAS F1 Primax fuel since 2002

http://www.sauber.ch/en/partner/petronas/index.php

So why would they be lying?

[Racer-X]

I was also always in doubt about the Petronas suply to Sauber. I remember when Arrows was sponsored by Repsol and the spanish company was advertising a lot about the technological partinership with Arrows. Then, when Arrows was disqualified in one GP (Barcelona I guess) by irregularity in the fuel, they finally said the fuel was supplied by Elf!

[Monstrobolaxa]

But in Arrows case I remember hearing that hey used ELF...and looking at old magazines from 1999 - 2000 they always said they used ELF....in the old F1 Racing and Autosports it's said that they use ELF and no Repsol.

[Guest]

Well over here in Malaysia, Petronas advertises their fuel/lubricant being used in the Sauber cars so I don't know, if they lie wouldn't they be liable to false advertising?

[Baldwin]

Dear Mr Guest,
They can probably be using Petronas products in F1 testing and not for racing. In this case they are not lying

[Racer-X]

Dear Mr Guest,
They can probably be using Petronas products in F1 testing and not for racing. In this case they are not lying

It is almost impossible to have fuels and lubricants different for tests and races. On tests they ajust the setups for the following races and check the engine maps. Impossible to do that with different products !

[Alex-Michigan]

Max Mosley said he would like to see BIOFUELS in F1. What does it mean? Alcohol from corn can be considered as BioFuel?

Isn't it dangerous to have fuels in F1 which you can't see its flame? F1 has always showed safety as a very important parameter and now they are pushing for the use a fuel similar to one use in Champ Cars where we have already seen so many accidents related to Methanol use.

[sharkie17]

you can combine fuels and still have flames you can see.

[Hot-Rod II]

Have a look at those 2 links:


http://www.gp2004.com/news/news.php?lan ... &year=2004

http://www.gp2004.com/news/news.php?lan ... &year=2004