Fuel flow restrictions

[zako85]

Fuel flow rate restrictions is one of those really stupid 2014 "design by committee" rules along with the idiotic token system that was meant to put the brakes on engine development since 2014. When I heard of the later rule early on, I immediately feared that such rule would lock-in the power advantage for whoever builds the best engine for 2014, and lo and behold exactly this happened. Remember how the token system prevented other manufacturers from responding to Mercedes's power advantage since 2014? This went on for about three seasons, sealing in the Mercedes advantage for many many seasons. The effects can be felt even now.

I think that restricting the fuel flow belongs in the same set of stupid decisions. Mind you, I am NOT saying here that Formula 1 cars should carry whatever load of fuel. For many decades, excluding the refueling era, F1 cars carried only 150 liters of fuel. After 2013, they can carry only 100 liters. There should be no issue with that. But restricting the rate of fuel flow, the FIA "geniuses" deprived the F1 teams from executing all sorts of really interesting strategies, such as burning more fuel at one stage of the race at the expense of burning less fuel and having less power at other stages of the race. Heck, some teams could sometimes throw dice and bet on a risky strategy that nets them a possible win at the risk of running out of fuel. The fuel flow rate rule deprived F1 of such possibilities.