Inside the science of F1 fuel

The current Formula 1 engine is a model of efficiency matched only, and surprisingly, by some huge maritime diesel engines. In terms of small petrol engines, the F1 V6 is significantly ahead of anything found on the road or racetrack. How this is achieved is both innovative and relevant as the future of the internal combustion engine extends beyond some projections of its imminent demise.

There has always been a truism in F1 engine design that the secret to performance was to get as much air as possible into the engine in a given time and then adding the appropriate amount of fuel, and burning it fully and efficiently.