Thread: Fuel loads for the race start!!!

Originally Posted by wedge

Seems like BGP will win on paper.

I hate this. It should be unpredictable. I like the idea of wondering whether such and such team/driver are running light in the first stint.

Word up! Bro

If I were a betting man I'd probably stick my money on Rubens to win it now. I can't see Button getting too far ahead of him in the opening stint - that's assuming he leads off the start, and Rubens will probably leapfrog him at the first stops, just a hunch.

Originally Posted by wedge

I hate this. It should be unpredictable. I like the idea of wondering whether such and such team/driver are running light in the first stint.

I kind of agree, but then again they're only making official what everyone figured out anyway. About 99% of the time the commentators know what's going to happen.

Button is 2kgs lighter than Barrichello, I would guess that's about one lap of fuel?

The official starting weights of the cars has been published. Given that each car has to weigh a minimum of 605kg, and a lap of Mellbourne uses approximately 2.5kg of fuel, we can predict which lap each car will make its first pit stop on:
Robert Kubica 18
Felipe Massa 19
Sebastien Vettel 20
Kimi Raikkonen 20
Lewis Hamilton 20
Nico Rosberg 20
Mark Webber 22
Jarno Trulli 22
Jenson Button 23
Sebastien Bourdais 23
Rubens Barrichello 24
Timo Glock 26
Sebastien Buemi 28
Fernando Alonso 30
Adrian Sutil 31
Kazuki Nakajima 32
Giancarlo Fisichella 33
Nick Heidfeld 34
Heikki Kovalainen 34
Nelson Piquet 35

f1fanatic

Kubica's too light. If nothing blows up, we'll hear the brazlian anthem for rubens 2morrow. and i'll be a happy chap :P

No, no, it will be the British one for 2nd year in a row

I just realised, the published weights are not what was used in quali except for the top 10. The weights is the amount of fuel for tomorrow, yes?

Does that mean Kovi, Nick and Nelson are on one-stoppers?

Something that has occured to me about Hamilton being light. Could it be McLaren are running two very different strategies so that if there is a safety car one of their cars could be in a position to take advantage of it.

Unless there are a lot of retirements then McLaren's only hope of points could be to get lucky with a safety car (you usually get at least one in Melbourne). By running the two cars on different strategies, if there is a safety car then one of the cars should be in a position to gain from it.

Originally Posted by F1boat

No, no, it will be the British one for 2nd year in a row

If either Rubens or Jenson win you wil get to hear the bloody thing

Originally Posted by valmacher

The official starting weights of the cars has been published. Given that each car has to weigh a minimum of 605kg, and a lap of Mellbourne uses approximately 2.5kg of fuel, we can predict which lap each car will make its first pit stop on:
Robert Kubica 18
Felipe Massa 19
Sebastien Vettel 20
Kimi Raikkonen 20
Lewis Hamilton 20
Nico Rosberg 20
Mark Webber 22
Jarno Trulli 22
Jenson Button 23
Sebastien Bourdais 23
Rubens Barrichello 24
Timo Glock 26
Sebastien Buemi 28
Fernando Alonso 30
Adrian Sutil 31
Kazuki Nakajima 32
Giancarlo Fisichella 33
Nick Heidfeld 34
Heikki Kovalainen 34
Nelson Piquet 35

f1fanatic

They also need to do a lap to get to the grid and one formation lap.

Originally Posted by ioan

They also need to do a lap to get to the grid and one formation lap.

I was wondering about that, but 2.5kg per lap is only a rough estimate, and as they're only cruising around slowly for the formation lap wouldn't it all average out? Regardless, you could just shift every number back two laps and it'd still give you a basic idea

The race is only 58 laps so anyone with 30 odd laps of fuel could be one-stopping. Is that right?

2 Questions:

1. Isn't most of the weight difference between Heidfeld and Kubica due to Heidfeld running KERS while Kubica isn't?

2. Since they will be relegated to the back, will Glock and Trulli be permitted to change their "declared fuel?"

If the program on BBC starts at 0600 tomorrow, does that mean the race starts at 0700 if there is an hour build up? Or is there no build up?

Originally Posted by pettersolberg29

If the program on BBC starts at 0600 tomorrow, does that mean the race starts at 0700 if there is an hour build up? Or is there no build up?

Yep, that's the plan, race starts at 7am with an hour's build up from 6am.

If you're in the UK don't forget to put your clock forward an hour before you head off to bed though

which will be more important--fuel loads or team orders?

It's just like any other season. Unless you factor who is on which tires, who has qualifying pace and who has race pace, who blows up and who doesn't, how many people get taken out at the first turn.....

In reality we have nothing other than educated guesses, which in F1 are often wrong!


I would guess the lighter cars might be in good shape if they are on the softs. They can set up for longer stints on the stops as the harder tires need the heat. Likewise for the heavy cars already starting on the hard compounds, they can use a short stint with the softs, and a safety car period can make that a good strategy.


I won't predict much other than....

Rubens will finish ahead of Jenson.

Kubica will accompany Kimi on the other podium steps.

Originally Posted by keysersoze

2 Questions:

1. Isn't most of the weight difference between Heidfeld and Kubica due to Heidfeld running KERS while Kubica isn't?

2. Since they will be relegated to the back, will Glock and Trulli be permitted to change their "declared fuel?"

1) I thought the reason Kubica was not using KERS was because with Kubica on board and the KERS system the car was heavier then the minimum 605kg before any fuel was added. They wouldn't therefore be able to add ballast to help balance the car without adding additional weight. Heidfeld plus KERS was still under the minimum weight limit.

2) They can provided they start from the pitlane and not the last two positions on the grid. If any car that initially qualified in the top 10 is given a grid penalty they cannot adjust their fuel load if they want to start from the grid. They can refuel but if they do so they must start from the pitlane.