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The different use of fuel is a distinct deference between Formula One and Indy Cars. One uses it to go fast, while the other considers how to conserve its use and incorporate it into race strategy. It is more about a difference in culture rather than a technical disparity.
A key to winning an Indy Car race on the ovals is pit strategy. Knowing when to pit, conserving fuel to go further in the race and using the caution (safety car) periods to your advantage. You don’t necessarily have to have the fastest car on the speedway to win. If you are fast you can use up too much fuel and have to pit more often. Conserve it and you go further and pit less often.
In Formula One (F1) it is more about speed. Try and qualify quickest and then get away in front of the field. Pit strategy is not such an important key to win compared with Indycars. If you aren’t the fastest then a driver will bring fuel into his strategy, i.e. carry more fuel and try a one-stop race while others will pit twice. But often this is used by slower cars in order to get into the points, not necessarily a strategy to win.
Watching highlights of last weeks IndyCar round at Long Beach, California, I couldn’t help but notice that the commentators kept talking about drivers conserving fuel. This was a street race and not an oval. They commented about drivers needing caution periods to conserve fuel or to pit for fuel.
The use of fuel in F1 is arguably about shear speed while in Indycar it is arguably about team strategy. Either way there is a distinct difference which makes it more enjoyable for the viewer.
