How long before a car runs out of fuel?

[Retro Formula 1]

We saw with Red Bull and McLaren racing together that fuel consumption was higher and led to the issues at the end of the race.

Exciting for us fans but neither of the attempted passes were due to anything but lack of fuel.

How long till one runs out of fuel and if they stop on the warm down lap, will they be classified?

[Ranger]

How long till one runs out of fuel and if they stop on the warm down lap, will they be classified?

Jean Alesi wouldn't have ever won a race if that was a rule!

I very much doubt 'fuel consumption' is a legitimate problem this year. It was just a thinly veiled facade in Turkey.

[Retro Formula 1]

I very much doubt 'fuel consumption' is a legitimate problem this year. It was just a thinly veiled facade in Turkey.

I don't think so.

As the season develops, teams will be fine tuning consumption in race conditions. Carrying the minimum fuel = more speed but in previous races, there has been rain or else the Bulls have pissed off allowing fuel consumption settings to be implemented in the last part of race. In Turkey, this didn't happen as the McLarens were more competitive and pushing the lead thus the strategy changed.

I just wonder how much they had at the end, especially Webber who may have had the call a lap before Seb for political reasons. (Theory)

[e2mtt]

Jean Alesi wouldn't have ever won a race if that was a rule!

I very much doubt 'fuel consumption' is a legitimate problem this year. It was just a thinly veiled facade in Turkey.

If fuel consumption isn't a legitimate concern this year, they aren't trying hard enough! In a race where fuel is limited, if you aren't running out of fuel immediately after crossing the finish, you need to go faster next time.

[Sonic]

I doubt anyone will totally run the tank dry and stop on the track a la Jean Alesi. The telemetry is just too good - remember Massa in spain last year?

But I can quite picture a driver slipping a few places having to run on a very lean fuel mix on the last few laps.

[Mintexmemory]

I was at Brands Hatch in 1970 when Sir Jack ran out of fuel on the last lap allowing Jochen to pass him at Clearways. With current IT capability optimising fuel load versus speed is capable of being calculated way more accurately than 40 years ago for a consistent race strategy. Problem in Turkey was that neither RB or McL had anticipated that a 4-car race would continue to 4/5ths distance and hence thier dialled in fuel loads were all going to be wrong had the competition carried on in earnest. Not blinking first would have been an interesting exercise in brinkmanship. The amount of fuel carried should be adequate to get to the finish but if too much is loaded you won't be competitive unless some way is found for the surplus to 'evaporate' during the race.

[steveaki13]

I seem to remember Senna running out of fuel quite a few times in the early 90's in the last few laps.

If you look at results pages for GP's Senna has quite a few "+1 Lap Out of Fuel" by his name.

[fandango]

Yes, I think they would be classified. And frustrated.

[Somebody]

Of course they would be classified - everyone who completes X% of the winner's laps is classified, as we saw recently with Trulli & Chandhok in Monaco, who were classfied despite crashing out before the end.

The only reason why they wouldn't be is if their car was deemed illegal, and they were DQed as a result, but that applies equally to ALL the classified finishers. (Although it would be interesting to see the stewards' reaction to a driver outright destroying his car on the slow-down lap to prevent it being scruitineered properly...)

[Mark]

I doubt anyone will totally run the tank dry and stop on the track a la Jean Alesi. The telemetry is just too good - remember Massa in spain last year?

But I can quite picture a driver slipping a few places having to run on a very lean fuel mix on the last few laps.

Yep, they have a very detailed fuel read out, it's critical after all.
Remember with Alesi his team had been calling him into the pits for about 3 laps before he ran out of fuel, so they knew fine well he was about to run out, but apparently Alesi chose to ignore them!