Source:REUTERS/ANDREJ ISAKOVIC
[Saba Sports News] After experiencing the setback of having both cars disqualified from the Las Vegas race, McLaren CEO Zak Brown proposed a rather controversial yet thought-provoking idea: to reintroduce refueling rules mid-race in F1. He admitted that this concept might not directly prevent McLaren’s technical violations in Las Vegas, but it could bring a new dimension to race strategy, weight management, and tactical maneuvers.
This season, multiple teams have faced disqualifications due to excessive wear on their floorboards. According to the current technical regulations, the thickness of the wooden plank on the bottom of the car must be 10 mm when new, with a minimum thickness of 9 mm allowed due to race wear. After the race, the FIA measures the thickness at designated points; any measurement below the standard results in immediate penalties. In the 2025 season, drivers like Lewis Hamilton at the Chinese race, Nico Hulkenberg at Bahrain, and Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri at Las Vegas were disqualified due to this issue.
Brown believes that one root of the problem lies in the extreme balance between car weight and ride height, and the refueling rule might change this dynamic. In my view, if mid-race refueling were allowed, teams would have more varied options regarding fuel load at the start of the race: should they start with a full tank for a longer first segment, or opt for a lighter load to sprint for a better starting position? Different strategies would directly affect the car’s weight, ride height, and floorboard wear, forcing teams to make trade-offs between pit stop frequency and track performance.