Formula One is all about speed and reliability. The fastest driver still running at the end of the race, wins. Many enthusiasts may not realize it, but the other half of success in this, the highest-technology sport in the world, is fuel efficiency. This was most apparent in the years when refueling during the race was not allowed. Back then, a car had to start with all the fuel it was going to use for the race. Cars running out of fuel in the last couple of laps, sometimes agonizingly when they were leading, were not unheard of. Therefore, every gram of fuel had to count. But even in the current format that allows refueling, the driver that saves on gas has a distinct advantage.

After watching the best drivers in the world work their magic on various circuits throughout the years, here are some fuel-saving measures that you can apply to your daily driving:

Preparation is Key.  Before a Formula One cars’ tires ever touch the track, it’s been scrutinized by dozens of specialists. Everything from the engine to the rear-view mirror has been thoroughly inspected to ensure optimum performance. We don’t have teams of mechanics to check our camber every weekend or clean out our radiators every hundred kilometers, but a short do-it-yourself checklist will help keep our car at peak performance.

The basics should be easy to cover: check your tire inflation every week, and have your vehicle serviced at least twice a year. Proper tire inflation and maintenance may be good only for a few percent improvement in your mileage, but starting with this advantage helps. And as F1 drivers know all too well, an ill-prepared car will not go too far before giving up.

Weight is the Enemy.  A Formula One car has roughly the same footprint as a Honda Civic, but weighs only half as much. Each additional gram that is onboard the car has to be accelerated and that costs fuel.

Your car carries much more weight because of various convenience features, but it doesn’t mean you can stuff more items on board with impunity. Clean out excess baggage from your car. Golf clubs that you need to bring only during the weekend (or weekdays, depending on your lifestyle) can otherwise stay at home. That pile of magazines, old newspapers, those Seven Dwarfs hanging from your windshield—if you don’t need them to drive safely, it’s best to take them out of your car.

Aerodynamics counts. On high-speed circuits, the racecar’s front and rear wings are adjusted to as flat an angle as possible, to minimize wind resistance. Similarly, if you’ve installed roof racks or exterior luggage bins to your car, remove them on days when you won’t need them.

Revs are not free. This tip may sound absurd for engines that can rev to 19,000 rpm. The high revs are designed to produce maximum power. But notice what drivers do when they don’t need to run that fast. They turn a knob on their steering wheel to cut maximum revs and save fuel.

Our cars have a similar control, and it’s called the gearshift. Make it a habit to shift up at around 2000 rpm. Cars that are equipped with electronic fuel injection won’t complain if you shift early, and modern engines can produce sufficient torque for acceleration even at that rpm. If you drive an automatic, accelerate smoothly then lift up slightly as you approach 2000 rpm. Most transmissions should detect that you are easing up and will shift up. Avoid prolonged idling; this uses up unneeded revs too. Shut your engine down if you’ll be waiting for more than one minute.

Drive Smoothly. Did you ever notice that when F1 drivers are as smooth as silk, they rack up the quickest lap times? When they drive “spectacularly”—with lots of curb banging, brake locking, and steering correction—their speed and fuel efficiency suffer.

This is probably the most significant of our tips. Studies have shown that a smooth and moderate driving style can increase your mileage by as much as 40 percent. Take the long view of the road so you don’t have to brake hard, only to accelerate again afterwards. On the highway, plan a path around slower traffic and overtake them smoothly and safely. And remember that a red light turning green isn’t signaling the start of the Makati Avenue Grand Prix.

Fuel up at the Best Time.  The best time to come in for a stop is early morning, when gasoline or diesel is colder and therefore denser. You benefit because fuel is sold by volume. Formula One has banned the practice of chilling fuel before it’s loaded up into the cars, but you can still benefit from its real-world equivalent. This is reportedly good for a savings of two or three percent.

Go full tank every time, as repeated fueling in small quantities allows more gasoline to evaporate when you open the gas cap.

Travel using an optimal schedule.  Optimal means different things to different members of the crew, of course. For the likes of Michael Schumacher and Jenson Button, it means hopping on their private jet. What we’re interested in here is how the bulk of the crew goes from place to place. The teams’ truck drivers travel at night and early morning to avoid traffic.

While it’s probably not in good form to show up at your office at 4 am, leaving a critical few minutes early can save you from a lot of mileage-sapping traffic. Getting caught in heavy traffic quickly and severely reduces your fuel mileage. Also, it’s good to group your tasks so you can travel to a single place, park your car, and do all your errands together. That’s why they’ve scheduled the Japanese Grand Prix together with the Chinese Grand Prix.

Win by the smallest possible margin.  Although it’s thrilling to watch drivers who can decimate their competition by building and maintaining a huge lead, we’ve always admired drivers like Alain Prost who take the more cerebral approach. Prost usually wins by the least possible margin, conserving his car, tires, and fuel till the checkered flag

You’re not out to set a lap record each time you head to the mall. So drive accordingly and reap the benefits. Driving at 100 km/h rather than at 140 km/h will yield a double-digit improvement in your mileage, and significant savings.

Monitor your performance. All aspects of a Formula One car’s performance are monitored and recorded using sophisticated telemetry. Often before a driver is aware of a potential fault, the engineers in the garage are already looking for solutions.

You should also be aware of how your car is performing, and how efficiently you are driving. Reset your odometer and use it to compute your fuel mileage each time you fill up. Make it your goal to increase your fuel efficiency. You may not be in a long-distance driving contest, but the benefits will accrue directly to your wallet.

A sudden drop in efficiency may signal a need for maintenance. Or that your teenage son has taken the car for a spin without your knowledge. You can take the necessary corrective action with either case. Also, use the “Trip B” of your odometer to mark the distance since your last scheduled maintenance.

Driving Harms the Environment. Given today’s technology, cars inevitably pollute whenever you use them. Internal combustion engines will continue to emit greenhouse gases and other pollutants. The atmosphere will be better off the less you use your car.

For its part, Formula One has commissioned the planting of forests in Southern Mexico to effectively “neutralize” its carbon emissions, including the greenhouse gases emitted by jumbo jets transporting the F1 circus. This makes F1 a “carbon neutral” sport. Similarly, you can take the trouble to plant a tree when the opportunity arises. (www.haribon.org.ph is a good place to start looking.) Like most Formula One drivers do when they’re not in their race cars, bike or walk when you can.

The next time you think of driving like Schumacher, remember it’s not only raw speed that counts, but driving efficiently to maximize every drop of fuel that you have on board your car.

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