Why do F1 cars not smell anymore?

[Rainer]

Was in Silverstone this weekend for the 1st time of my life. The last time I saw an F! race was about 15 years ago in Monza. I still remember that one of the things I liked so much about being at a race track was this particular "racing smell" in the air during the practice and racing sessions. I was missing that smell of racing fuel completely this weekend (only the GP2 were "smelling" a bit).
Does anyone what changed there? Did the fuel change? Or did they intentionally get rid of the smell?

...But even if the smell was not there...it was great and it was so good to see racing again.

[ASCII Man]

Fuel has changed considerably over the years, to reduce the smell but primarily to reduce the hazard to the enviroment.
Could be that they got rid of it intentionally, but too bad, it's quite an enjoyable smell iirc. (15-16 years ago at Spa)

[Hazard]

The main reason was everyone else around you probably smelt more than the cars!

An if you couldn't 'smell' the historics, then the problem may lay elsewhere than the cars

[foreversideways]

Love that smell. sounds like it's been sanitised just like everything else

[sonic]

some of that stuff in the fuel back then was EVIL.

at its peak in the late 80s drivers used to complain of their eyes watering too much to follow the car in front, let alone the chaps in the pits who had to handle the stuff.

glad its been banned. now the drivers only have to worry about sucking down all that carbon dust...

[marzF1rocks]

if you were anywere at silverstone on sunday, you could smell Buttons car quite badly when it smoked..

Its all to do with pollution and changing of the engine to the v8.

[Knowlesy]

The V8 has nothing to do with it.

The fuels these days have a far lower toxicity and therefore smell less. They used to use what were labelled "rocket fuels", special fuels made from all kinds of nasty chemicals that could boost engine power by a massive chunk. They really smelled and they got a bit silly in the end, as regards their potential hazard. They were banned at the end of 1992 I think.

That isn't the full explanation of course, but it is a big part of it.

[gringottsdirect]

First thing that hit me sitting in the Renault grandstand at Luffield C on Friday when the cars came out for first practice was the smell - unmistakeable.
So they obviously still feature a distinctive whiff - although different to some of the more toxic cocktails of the past.
It doesn't smell like petrol does it ?

[banzai_2001]

Last time I experienced that sweet toxic type smell back back at the 91 british GP.. ahh the good old days!!

[KevinS]

Originally Posted by sonic

some of that stuff in the fuel back then was EVIL.

at its peak in the late 80s drivers used to complain of their eyes watering too much to follow the car in front, let alone the chaps in the pits who had to handle the stuff.

glad its been banned. now the drivers only have to worry about sucking down all that carbon dust...

Yup. I've also heard that the stuff used to burn holes into the concrete floor in the pitboxes when spilled.

Imagine a fuel spill such as Verstappen-Germany '94 or Irvine-Belgium '95 with that stuff. The driver would actually be hoping it would catch fire!

[MRJUCY]

As well as the cleaner fuel I'd say modern F1 engines would be more efficient & burn the fuel more completely to get th best power & ecconomy compared to the technology of 15+ years ago.

[ECW Dan Selby]

Originally Posted by KevinS

Yup. I've also heard that the stuff used to burn holes into the concrete floor in the pitboxes when spilled.

Good lord...

Selby

[b1ackcr0w]

This is pure speculation but...

I wonder is F1 engines don't use/burn much oil. Most engines are designed to burn some of the oil in the sump as a normal part of their operation. Often, this is the cause of the distinctive aromas cars have. Go to any meeting involving historics, and for the first couple of laps of practice, you'll generally see the Marshals breath deeply and mouth the words "oooohhh, Castrol - R, Lovely ". But of course Castrol R isn't the fuel but the oil.

[Adam43]

Baby you make me go brum brum,
you're just my kind of girl,
you make me feel like a motorcar filled up with Castrol oil...

[thebear]

Originally Posted by knowlesy

The fuels these days have a far lower toxicity and therefore smell less. They used to use what were labelled "rocket fuels", special fuels made from all kinds of nasty chemicals that could boost engine power by a massive chunk. They really smelled and they got a bit silly in the end, as regards their potential hazard. They were banned at the end of 1992 I think.

Yes, they banned most of what was considered forms of "Pixie Dust".

[Just Do It!]

I seem to remember when "Our Nige" was in his first year at Williams (the 2nd time) seeing a demo of a blob of fuel - it was more jelly than liquid - being put in a flash tester or sparking-type device. The burn was incredible.

I was once told of a story - fairly reliable source - of a mechanic putting a litre or two of "race juice" into a pit bike only for it to melt the engine.

[Adam43]

I accidentally bought racing fuel for the gennie at Coys one year. It was the only time we could have the telly on and boil the water in the big boiler .

[Al Weyman]

At a recent meeting at Brands they had Historic bikes on and it was great to smell that old Castrol R again, somehow nothing quite like it. I used to put a few drops in the tank of my Hotrod racer years agoi just for effect:-)

[slicktoast]

Well, there are a few cars on the grid that really stink.

[Sultan]

Originally Posted by Just Do It!

I was once told of a story - fairly reliable source - of a mechanic putting a litre or two of "race juice" into a pit bike only for it to melt the engine.

It actually DID happen to us here in Australia a few years ago, we had an old BMX bike & stuck a seriously large 4 stroke whipper-snipper motor in it (for those who would understand, the kind the councils use for the side of highways etc...). It made a very original pitbike! Ran out of leaded at a race meeting, so in went some Avgas - got just over 70kph out of it before it went 'bbrrrrrwwwww... BANG!!!...'

[Frank Rizzo]

I seem to remember a a story from someone like Jackie Stewart saying that John Surtees used to sit in his garage and watch re-runs of great races and would have a saucer of Castrol with a candle beneath it to get him in the mood.

What a fantastic idea. Might try it next time I watch a historic race on telly. I'm sure the wife wouldn't mind lol.

[Knowlesy]

I think that was Jenks who did that. Seem to remember Nigel Roebuck mentioning it.

[Frank Rizzo]

Indeed I think you're right. You must be younger than me and be able to remember what you heard and where from for more than 10 minutes after the event!

Sorry, what were we talking about?

[baclightning]

When I was eight years old, in 1965, my Dad took me to a Formula Two race at Oulton Park (in which seven past or future World Champions took part!), and the thing I remember to this day is the smell of the paddock...wonderful, wonderful stuff!

[DeLorean]

I was three times in F1 races: 2002 (Interlagos), 2003 and 2004 (Indianapolis). My first time when I was coming up to the raceway I'm felt a good sensation with two thigs: Smell and Sound. It was wonderful. Unforgotable. In Indy, the four days of the event, we rent an RV located on the other side of street near to the track. To wake up listening the noise of the engines and the smell of the environment was a wonderful experience.