Over the course of a 24‑race season, Oracle Red Bull Racing and ExxonMobil work hand‑in‑glove to keep an F1 power unit at peak performance and reliability by fine‑tuning every drop of fuel and oil:
Extreme Operating Conditions
Combustion‑chamber temperatures rival the surface of the sun, and engines spin to 15,000 rpm under immense pressure.
Fuel must not only deliver maximum energy per gram (to stay within strict fuel‑flow and total‑fuel limits) but also lubricate critical components like high‑speed pumps and injectors.
Tailored Fuel Chemistry
Engineers balance octane, energy density and burn rate to extract power without creating harmful deposits or overheating.
Special additives boost lubricity—protecting moving parts in the fuel system—while preserving combustion efficiency for every lap.
Next‑Generation Lubricants
Ultra‑low‑viscosity, full‑synthetic engine oils reduce friction losses and carry away heat under massive mechanical loads.
Friction modifiers, anti‑wear agents and antioxidants are blended so that the same oil can last an entire race weekend (and sometimes several), safeguarding bearings, cams and piston rings.
Rigorous Testing & Data‑Driven R&D
Oils and fuels undergo bench‑top friction rigs, high‑temperature durability tests and dyno runs before ever hitting the track.
Real‑time telemetry from race weekends feeds back into the lab, driving iterative tweaks that shave hundredths of a second per lap.
Performance vs. Reliability Trade‑Off
Even microscopic gains in reducing friction or improving burn efficiency translate to on‑track advantages—but must be balanced against engine longevity and the FIA’s strict power‑unit quotas.
By the end, what looks like “just fluids” is actually a finely choreographed blend of chemistry, materials science and engineering—an invisible but indispensable competitive edge under the hood of every championship‑winning car.
