The petrol used in F1 and that found on the road: characteristics and differences

They can both run on gasoline , but a car that drives on everyday roads does not use the same fuel as a Formula 1 single-seater during the Grand Prix. Let's discover the various characteristics and differences of these fuels, which may seem similar but are actually a little different. On roads and highways, the most common are unleaded gasoline and diesel, but there are also LPG and methane cars, as well as hybrid and electric cars. In the main motorsport category, a certain type of fuel has been used since 2022, the year of the last change in regulations. The ten teams in fact use E10 , a specific blend composed of 90 percent fuel and the remaining 10% renewable ethanol . In 2025, the price of a liter of gasoline in F1 will be between 22 and 33 dollars , a figure that has nothing to do with what is distributed at service stations on roads and highways. But from 2026, with yet another regulatory change, the price will be higher with a new synthetic fuel .

Formula 1 is preparing to enter a new regulatory era and so from 2026 a completely sustainable fuel will be used, given the objective of the FIA , the International Automobile Federation, to reach zero carbon emissions by 2030. For this new petrol, mixing with fossil fuels will not be permitted, but there will be e-fuels , or synthetic fuels, produced through a chemical synthesis involving hydrogen and carbon dioxide. A petrol that requires a significant amount of energy to be produced and that has a rather high cost. In F1 the price should be between 170 and 225 dollars per litre , with estimated peaks of 300. The FIA ​​is already studying solutions to reduce costs from 2027, but for the coming year the fate seems sealed. The various teams could spend between 80 and 100 thousand dollars on fuel per race weekend, with a total figure of between 1.9 and 2.4 million for a 24-race season . The cost could rise even more for those who do not already have a partnership with a fuel supplier, such as Ferrari with Shell or Mercedes with Petronas . The positive note for the teams, 11 starting from the next championship, is that the price they will spend on fuel from 2026 will be exempt from the cost limit. This new type of petrol in F1 will have to have an octane number , that is, the resistance to detonation of the air-fuel mixture in the engine cylinder, between 95 and 102.

On everyday roads and highways, gasoline is available in different variants, based on the octane number and the presence of additives. The so-called unleaded green , the most common in modern cars, is produced from renewable sources such as biomass and organic waste and is more sustainable than the old super gasoline. Less CO2 is used in the manufacturing process and fewer air pollutants are emitted during combustion. It can be 95 or 98 octane , the higher this number, the more efficient the engine combustion and the better the car's performance. Requiring little energy, unleaded gasoline has a rather low cost compared to that used in F1. Now the price on the road has risen to 1,748 euros per liter for self-service with maximums of over 2.30 euros per liter served on the highway. Another fuel widely used on the road is certainly diesel . This type is adopted for diesel vehicles, which have compression engines for the combustion of the fuel itself. Available in different variants, diesel depends on the percentage of biodiesel present and the cetane number. Biodiesel is a type of fuel obtained from renewable sources and among the variants there are acronyms such as B7, B10 or Xtl. Instead, the cetane number indicates the combustion speed of the fuel in the engine. The higher this number, the more efficient the diesel engine will be, with a significant reduction in harmful emissions.

Among the various fuels used in some vehicles there is also LPG , liquefied petroleum gas. It is a mixture of propane and butane available in gaseous form. It is a cheaper alternative to petrol and diesel, but it can be less efficient in terms of mileage per litre. LPG cars have a special tank and may require modifications to the fuel system . This is a more conservative choice, since LPG produces fewer harmful emissions during combustion. In some vehicles, methane is used, made from natural gas with a fermentation process. Also available in gaseous form, it is mainly used for commercial vehicles and buses. Methane cars also need a special tank and may require modifications to the fuel system. This is always a more ecological choice, since it produces fewer CO2 emissions during combustion. Finally, there are vehicles that do not use fuel at all such as electric cars , which are powered by batteries that can be recharged with electricity. These vehicles represent one of the most sustainable solutions to reduce CO2 emissions and air pollution, but they require adequate charging infrastructure and may have a limited range.