At
the Formula One circuit, it’s not just the driver’s skills and the engineering
behind the car that matter. Fuel too plays an important role. McLaren Mercedes’
new and unique fuel – developed by ExxonMobil – has been exceeding expectations
throughout testing and the early races.
According
to a company statement, along with Mobil 1 lubricants, gear oil, greases and
hydraulic oils, ExxonMobil has supplied high-performance race formulation fuel
and trackside expertise to the McLaren Mercedes race team during the course of
their 20 year collaboration.
For
2014, more so perhaps than at any other time in their technical partnership,
the partners have worked hand-in-hand to ensure that the new 1.6-litre V6 turbo
hybrid power units are as powerful and efficient as possible.
With
fuel consumption the subject of intense debate now that loads have been
restricted to 100kg per race (a decrease of around 35pc compared to last year’s
average consumption), ExxonMobil’s team of scientists developed a completely
new fuel for the MP4-29 – engineered at molecular level to ensure full
conformity with FIA specifications and mitigate for the issue of ‘knock’
(detonation) common in turbocharged engines.
Minimising
engine knock is critical for two reasons: first and foremost because it can
potentially lead to catastrophic engine failure, which - in a season where
teams are restricted to five power units - is of vital importance. The second
major reason relates to the team’s ability to improve engine performance and
ensure that by minimising knock, they gain as much power as possible from their
fuel load.
In
preparation for the 2014 season, a team from ExxonMobil Research and
Engineering Company formulated a brand new fuel that would minimise the risk of
engine knock to help extract maximum power from the available fuel.
Bruce
Crawley, Global Motorsport Technology Manager, said: “Our race fuels
development programme is extremely challenging, given the strict FIA
regulations governing composition. This new fuel is the result of 12 months’
work, from mathematical fuel modelling to thousands of kilometres of testing,
and has proven our ability to innovate within these confines.”
The
2014 season sees ExxonMobil and the McLaren Mercedes Formula 1TM team celebrate
20 years of technology partnership – a period in which they have clocked-up an
impressive 334 races and 78 victories. The Bahrain race weekend will see the
final appearance of the special Esso-branded MP4-29 livery to mark the long
standing fuels technology partnership.
Jonathan
Neale, Chief Operating Officer at McLaren Racing, said: “Just as passionate
about winning as we are, ExxonMobil’s team of specialists are 100% committed to
delivering performance advantage on track. With fuels a key focus of the 2014
regulation changes, we have been delighted to recognise ExxonMobil’s technology
contributions over the last two decades by placing the Esso logo on the MP4-29
during the Malaysian and Bahrain Grand Prix.”