MAY 20, 1996

Teams consider refueling change

THE Formula 1 teams are currently considering a change to the refueling equipment which is supplied to them by the French aerospace company Intertechnique. The discussions come as a result of the accident at Imola which left the Arrows team's refueler injured when Jos Verstappen was waved out his pit while the fuel hose was still attached to the car. The hose broke and a small amount of fuel was spilled but did not ignite.

Intertechnique is offering teams a special self-sealing coupling, which will break in the event of a car leaving the pit with the hose still attached but will seal fuel on either side of the coupling. The part comes directly from the Airbus A340 and each one costs $6,000. It was offered to the teams originally but they decided against accepting it because it was adjudged to be too expensive. In a sport where a day of testing costs as much as $130,000 such penny-pinching seems out of place.

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