Oct.20 (GMM) Ferrari test driver Marc Gene admits he does not think proposals to ban refuelling during formula one pitstops is a good idea
It is believed the FOTA alliance of F1 teams in Shanghai discussed the topic, with some figures arguing that banning refuelling would make race strategies less complicated, as well as make the sport safer
“I think refuelling in F1 is good for the show,” Ferrari test driver Marc Gene retorted, “because it means strategies can be quite varied
“There are some people who think that if there was no refuelling, drivers would have to do their overtaking on the track rather than in the pits,” he acknowledged in a question-and-answer session with the Spanish newspaper Sport
Banning refuelling ahead of the 2009 season would be difficult, as the fundamentals of next year’s cars – including fuel tank size – have all now been fixed
McLaren chief executive Martin Whitmarsh said: “We will have them (pitstops) as part of the show next year and we should then decide during the course of the year whether we can change the regulations in the future.”n
