F1: Ferrari chairman wants refueling to stay on the table

Ferrari chairman Sergio Marchionne is eager to see the return of refueling to Formula 1 despite suggestions this week in Canada it will not make a comeback.

The team managers met with FIA race director Charlie Whiting in the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve paddock and spelled out their concerns against the proposal brought to the table at last month's Strategy Group meeting. It was determined that aside from the additional costs and the safety concerns, refueling was not conducive to the show as overtaking increased following its abolition after 2009.

Marchionne, on a visit to a grand prix for the first time this year for a meeting with commercial rights holder Bernie Ecclestone, was one of the main proponents at the Strategy Group pushing to see refueling back in F1. The 62-year-old Italian-Canadian confirmed he wants to see it return, albeit appreciating it may only work in conjunction with other determining factors.

"If the findings are such it provides zero additional spectacle value, in the sense of creating something the fans want, then I think we should stay away. I haven't seen the evidence," said Marchionne. "We keep on hearing noises about what kitchen-concocted studies have yielded. I understand them. The question is you have to find out the impact of the combination of refueling, tire changes and what a variety of other changes are going to have on the sport.

"Singularly it may not be the answer, but combined with other things it might be, so I am totally open."

Marchionne has suggested the alternative to refueling may be for tire supplier Pirelli to open up the choice of rubber for a particular grand prix. Pirelli has already stated it will not provide total freedom to a team to select whatever two compounds of tire they want for a race, but there is the scope for strategies within what is already available.

Marchionne added: "Refueling by itself has no value other than the fact it adds variability to the race. Fuel loads, how many times you refuel, when you refuel, they are all things that are important.

"There are some people that argue that you can come up with a deterministic model that will make everyone refuel at the same time, which is absolute hogwash. Especially if you combine that with a higher degree of freedom on the choice of tires, which is I think is probably a lot more important than the refueling strategy.

"So I think there is a willingness on behalf of Pirelli to provide that flexibility to the teams which will create additional variability and will make the sport interesting to watch. It is not just a question of the quality of the drivers. It is the combination of the technical choices the team make and the way in which they drive."

Originally on Autosport.com