FIA imposes fresh F1 engine oil burn limits from Italian GP
The FIA has continued to pursue the controversial issue of oil burning by telling Formula 1 teams it will impose a new limit on consumption from the Italian Grand Prix


There has been season-long intrigue about oil burning, with teams reminded that using oil as fuel was illegal before the campaign.
Further limits were then imposed from the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in relation to the use of combustion chemicals in oil.
Although new rules to outlaw oil burn have already been agreed for 2018 the FIA has continued its push to ensure teams are not getting around the limits this season too.
In a technical directive issued to the teams ahead of the Hungarian Grand Prix, it has reminded teams that an oil consumption limit of 0.6 litres per 100km was deemed to be acceptable - and would now be 'strictly enforced' from 2018.
However, mindful that some manufacturers could struggle to get within that limit with current engines, there has been no push to strictly limit oil use up until now.
Having analysed the engine situation over the first half of the year, the FIA has now ruled that any new power unit introduced from the Italian GP will have to adhere to a limit of 0.9 litres of oil use per 100km.
"We have accepted that some competitors may have difficulties in adhering to the 0.6l/100km limit this season and a tolerance is being applied to all power units currently in use," wrote FIA technical delegate Marcin Budkowski.
"However, we will expect the oil consumption of any ICE [internal combustion engine] element of the power unit introduced from the 2017 Italian GP onwards to be less than 0.9l/100km, any consumption above this will be considered suspicious and hence investigated as a potential breach of the technical regulations."
The FIA also made it clear that it will be keeping a close eye on the situation, so could not rule out further limits being imposed.
"We will continue to monitor the oil consumption of all competitors and carry out physical inspections and/or measurements on a regular basis," the note added.
F1 teams still have the opportunity to introduce a new V6 to their pools of usable elements in either Hungary or Belgium without having to adhere to the new limits.
However, with the run from Monza to the end of the season comprising nine races, manufacturers are likely to have already scheduled the introduction of performance upgrades later in the year, and will now be forced to ensure that they comply with the new restrictions.

Robert Kubica to drive 2017 Renault at post-Hungarian GP F1 test
Honda junior Matsushita handed first F1 test outing with Sauber

Latest news
Bathurst 12 Hour: Van Gisbergen Mercedes leads after first quarter
Shane van Gisbergen’s Triple Eight Mercedes headed Matt Campbell’s Manthey Porsche after three hours of racing at Mount Panorama in the Bathurst 12 Hour.
Tanak scores first Puma win in preparation for WRC Rally Sweden
Ott Tanak claimed his first victory driving an M-Sport Ford Puma after winning the Otepaa Winter Rally in preparation for next week’s World Rally Championship round in Sweden.
Ranking the worst Formula 1 cars to win a grand prix
Cars that rarely looked like contenders for victory have occasionally slipped through the net to become winners of world championship Formula 1 races. But which was the worst of the bunch?
Schumacher radio criticism highlighted F1 privacy change for Russell
George Russell says that the way an off-the-cuff radio remark criticising Mick Schumacher last year became a big deal shows how he is more under the spotlight in Formula 1.
How Tyrrell became a racing Rubik’s cube as it faded out of F1
Formula 1’s transformation into a global sport meant the gradual extinction for a small team determined to stay true to its low-budget roots. But Tyrrell would eventually be reborn as a world-beating outfit again, explains MAURICE HAMILTON, albeit in different colours…
Assessing Hamilton's remarkable decade as a Mercedes F1 driver
Many doubted Lewis Hamilton’s move from McLaren to Mercedes for the 2013 Formula 1 season. But the journey he’s been on since has taken the Briton to new heights - and to a further six world championship titles
Why new look Haas is a litmus test for Formula 1’s new era
OPINION: With teams outside the top three having struggled in Formula 1 in recent seasons, the rules changes introduced in 2022 should have more of an impact this season. How well Haas does, as the poster child for the kind of team that F1 wanted to be able to challenge at the front, is crucial
The Mercedes F1 pressure changes under 10 years of Toto Wolff
OPINION: Although the central building blocks for Mercedes’ recent, long-lasting Formula 1 success were installed before he joined the team, Toto Wolff has been instrumental in ensuring it maximised its finally-realised potential after years of underachievement. The 10-year anniversary of Wolff joining Mercedes marks the perfect time to assess his work
The all-French F1 partnership that Ocon and Gasly hope to emulate
Alpine’s signing of Pierre Gasly alongside Esteban Ocon revives memories of a famous all-French line-up, albeit in the red of Ferrari, for BEN EDWARDS. Can the former AlphaTauri man's arrival help the French team on its path back to winning ways in a tribute act to the Prancing Horse's title-winning 1983?
How do the best races of F1 2022 stack up to 2021?
OPINION: A system to score all the grands prix from the past two seasons produces some interesting results and sets a standard that 2023 should surely exceed
Who were the fastest drivers in F1 2022?
Who was the fastest driver in 2022? Everyone has an opinion, but what does the stopwatch say? Obviously, differing car performance has an effect on ultimate laptime – but it’s the relative speed of each car/driver package that’s fascinating and enlightening says ALEX KALINAUCKAS
Why F1's nearly man is refreshed and ready for his return
He has more starts without a podium than anyone else in Formula 1 world championship history, but Nico Hulkenberg is back for one more shot with Haas. After spending three years on the sidelines, the revitalised German is aiming to prove to his new team what the F1 grid has been missing
Subscribe and access Autosport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
You have 2 options:
- Become a subscriber.
- Disable your adblocker.