Time is ticking for Mercedes and McLaren, but there is no concern at all

Starting this year, Formula 1 teams are using sustainable, synthetic racing fuels. Approval for each fuel has also become more complex and stricter.

Whereas suppliers of fossil fuels previously only had to send a sample to a FIA-affiliated British laboratory — a procedure that typically took two to three weeks — responsibility now lies with the British company Zemo. They not only analyze the end product, but also check the entire production process — which takes a lot of time.

The new fuels must also meet strict requirements. To this end, the FIA has drawn up a list of so-called “fuel properties”: chemical and physical characteristics that help determine how the fuel behaves in the engine. Think of the octane rating, energy density, boiling point, and burn rate.

Somewhere in all these processes, Zemo encountered what it considers an irregularity, which meant the new gasoline from energy company Petronas did not pass inspection. At the time of writing, no homologation has been granted after all.

Even so, the four F1 teams involved are not worried in the slightest. This is a process between the FIA, the fuel manufacturer, and the independent company performing the verification. As soon as that process is completed, they can share the results.

The expectation is that the paperwork will be completed before the Grand Prix in Melbourne and the fuel will be approved, GPblog understands. In that case, the Mercedes-powered teams — entirely as planned — can use the Petronas fuel.