# In Formula One, why did they stop with refuelling? **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [May 22, 2011, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-formula-one-why-did-they-stop-with-refuelling/582806 "2011-05-22T20:17:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Wakinyan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wakinyan/32/352_2.png) [@Wakinyan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wakinyan)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2011, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-formula-one-why-did-they-stop-with-refuelling/582806/1 "2011-05-22T20:17:18Z")
Many years ago I watched some Formula One, and recently I’ve gotten back to it. In the nineties, one of the big tactical play was how much fuel you had in your tank; less fuel made the car lighter and faster but demanded pit stop for refuelling and hence you could gamble with this, as they are “gambling” with tire changes today. – I wonder, what’s the reasoning behind not allowing refuelling during races in Formula One today? ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2011, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-formula-one-why-did-they-stop-with-refuelling/582806/2 "2011-05-22T20:34:06Z")
It’s not tactical: it’s [officially banned](http://www.formula1.com/inside_f1/rules_and_regulations/sporting_regulations/8692/) since 2010, and it’s a cost-saving measure. Refuelling rigs cost a fortune and each team has to carry [a lot of them](http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/2008/12/12/the-cost-cutting-plans-refuelling-ban/): > [@](#): > > At present each team has two refuelling rigs, meaning a total of at least twenty that have to be flown and driven around the world. They only make races interesting when they fail (and they do that too often – remember all the fires at Hungary this year?) so they are not worth having around. ---
**Author:** ![Wakinyan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wakinyan/32/352_2.png) [@Wakinyan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wakinyan)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2011, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-formula-one-why-did-they-stop-with-refuelling/582806/3 "2011-05-22T22:20:58Z")
**jjimm** , I was a bit unclear, I knew it was banned and my question was why. English is not my first language. In either case, you answered my question – thank you. ---
**Author:** ![FordTaurusSHO94](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f07891/32.png) [@FordTaurusSHO94](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FordTaurusSHO94)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2011, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-formula-one-why-did-they-stop-with-refuelling/582806/4 "2011-05-22T22:42:31Z")
I’m pretty sure they just look for things to change each season. Fueling was first allowed in 93 or so, and they’re just back to the old rule. ---
**Author:** ![PigArcher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/bcef8e/32.png) [@PigArcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PigArcher)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2011, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-formula-one-why-did-they-stop-with-refuelling/582806/5 "2011-05-22T22:47:03Z")
Besides the safety and cost issues, many people feel that winning or losing a race primarily because of fuel strategy is uncool or not consistent with “real” racing. ---
**Author:** ![Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e36b37/32.png) [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airman_Doors_USAF)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2011, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-formula-one-why-did-they-stop-with-refuelling/582806/6 "2011-05-22T22:52:35Z")
> [@FordTaurusSHO94](#): > > I’m pretty sure they just look for things to change each season. The more cynical among us would say it’s because the front runners can do the whole race on a single tank. If Ferrari developed an engine that could blow everybody away but couldn’t make it the whole race Bernie would fall over himself reinstating refueling stops, probably by mandating smaller tanks. I shouldn’t be that way, but I have no confidence in the honesty and integrity of F1’s leadership. ---
**Author:** ![lisiate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f05b48/32.png) [@lisiate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lisiate)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2011, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-formula-one-why-did-they-stop-with-refuelling/582806/7 "2011-05-22T22:59:23Z")
Put me in the cynical camp. The constant tinkering in the name of ‘reducing costs’ and ‘increasing competition’ are one of the reasons why I just don’t care about F1 anymore. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2011, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-formula-one-why-did-they-stop-with-refuelling/582806/8 "2011-05-22T23:01:33Z")
> [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](#): > > I shouldn’t be that way, but I have no confidence in the honesty and integrity of F1’s leadership. With you on that. ---
**Author:** ![Dead\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9fc29f/32.png) [@Dead\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dead_Cat)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2011, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-formula-one-why-did-they-stop-with-refuelling/582806/9 "2011-05-23T12:45:10Z")
> [@Wakinyan](#): > > **jjimm** , I was a bit unclear, I knew it was banned and my question was why. English is not my first language. In either case, you answered my question – thank you. **jjimm** gave two reasons in his initial reply: 1. It is a cost-saving measure (F1 is trying to level the playing field a bit in terms of what teams can spend money on, the theory being that teams with smaller budgest should then be able to close the gap between them and the bigger teams. So far, this has not worked, and IMO it is unlikely that it ever will). 2. Safety - refuelling is by far the most likely cause of setting a car and people on fire, which is bad. Re-fuelling has been banned before, after a horrific-looking fire (which I think caused no serious injuries) involving Jos Verstappen in 1994 (facts from memory so may not be accurate!). ---
**Author:** ![notquitekarpov](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/71c47a/32.png) [@notquitekarpov](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notquitekarpov)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2011, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-formula-one-why-did-they-stop-with-refuelling/582806/10 "2011-05-23T13:15:19Z")
In addition fuel strategy over-dominated as overtaking was so difficult. Following cars with a much lighter fuel load could not necessarily benefit. ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2011, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-formula-one-why-did-they-stop-with-refuelling/582806/11 "2011-05-23T13:40:33Z")
> [@Dead\_Cat](#): > > a horrific-looking fire (which I think caused no serious injuries) involving Jos Verstappen in 1994. https://www.youtube.com/embed/HncoLsUEOXM?feature=oembed&wmode=opaque