In the F1 realm, improved fuel efficiency is a fringe benefit of lower weight, high-strength components. Low mass for improved acceleration, braking, and turnin

In the F1 realm, improved fuel efficiency is a fringe benefit of lower weight, high-strength components. Low mass for improved acceleration, braking, and turning, as well as strength and stiffness for handling chassis and aerodynamic loads, are significantly more important than the tenths or hundredths of an mpg you get from not having to push the metal these parts would otherwise be made of around. To respond to GP, if you can make an aerospace component lighter, once it's made, the thing the component goes on will be better than if it were heavy. Planes have to carry enough fuel to sustain altitude and also to push the plane to the destination. If the plane is lighter, you use less fuel to sustain altitude, saving money every moment the plane's in the air. If you can cut off enough weight, you can tweak the design of the plane itself because it won't need as much lift at speed, making it even more efficient (or faster per unit fuel burned).