Ferrari: trouble ahead with 2014 F1 turbos & fuel limits

[lkjohnson1950]

Jim Clark ran out of fuel while leading the South African GP because Chapman would not allow the mechanics to fill the tank as the fuel was too heavy. Clark's chief mechanic managed to sneak in a couple extra gallons, but it wasn't enough. For his trouble, the mechanic was almost fired for disobeying Chapman's orders. And how many times have we heard the pit wall instruct a driver to lean out the fuel and conserve this year.

[John S]

With 3 engine suppliers, 4 in 2015, there will surely be some difference in how and when the power units use the fuel. Even if we don't see cars actually run out of fuel hopefully it's going to spice up the final stages of races as some will have knock back the revs or risk not finishing. Teams with cars in the lower end of the points coming under attack late in a race could well take the gamble on running out, they face losing the points anyway.

Does anyone know if there's potentially harmful or costly damage that may occur if these new turbo engines run out of gas? With the current engines we often see cars deliberately running out of fuel in test sessions, or even practice, as teams seek to find accurate info on consumption and how much can be actually used from the fuel cell.     
 

[Alianora La Canta]

Surely running out of fuel would be The Most Absolute Basic Error to succumb to, compared to any other reasons for failing to finish a race. I'll take bets on the first three takers, but I want odds:

I bet no one will fail to finish an F1 race in 2014 down to fuel levels alone. 3/1 in my favour.

Max bet £20. Max no. of bets 3.

There are so many variables involved, and so much pressure to guess as close to possible, that there is bound to some errors. It's possible - and likely - that other excuses would be cited when it happens because otherwise, it's possible for other teams to calculate your fuel usage. Back in 2003, Ferrari tried to claim Rubens Barrichello running out of fuel in Brazil was due to a fuel feed error, but Rubens eventually revealed that the car worked fine once it was returned to the pits and a little fuel added...

The only reason I'm not taking this bet is because I don't do gambling.