Formula 1 goes green

Quite remarkably Formula 1 are embracing environmental concerns and are remodelling themselves as leaner and greener. It seems the International Automobile Federation (FIA) have woken up to the fact that they need to change or die. President Max Mosley says saving money, energy and resources and reducing waste is now top of the agenda for a sport famed in the past for profligate spending and conspicuous consumption.

"The tide of world opinion has just turned and you'll see this particularly with regard to global warming," Mosley declared last week. "There is a distinct movement of public opinion everywhere. I think with the changes we are making we have just caught that tide."

And the changes proposed? The focus will be on energy recovery and retention. Engine development has been frozen from the end of this year. The FIA wants a new fuel efficiency engine for 2011 after the introduction in 2009 of a lightweight system harnessing wasted energy from the brakes to provide extra horsepower in short bursts. By 2010 the FIA hopes to draw up a regulation for the recovery and re-use of waste heat from the engines. In the longer term there is likely to be a completely new and smaller turbo-charged engine, in line with industry trends, and possible use of bio-fuels.

Full article: Motor Racing - F1 Catches the Big Green Wave