Formula One's governing body is hoping that the sport can look to adopt some 'green' characteristics in the field of engine efficiency prior to the wholesale engine regulation change set for the start of the 2013 season.
The teams are close to agreeing a deal that will see Formula One engine rules move from the current 2.4 litre V8 set-up to a smaller and leaner engine blueprint for 2013, with a 1.5 litre turbocharged formula the current most likely option.
But talking to the FIA's 'In Motion' magazine, the governing body's exciting-sounding director of powertrain and electronics Gilles Simon has said that he would like the sport to make greener moves before the 2013 switchover.
"We have to try and push forward with fuel efficiency," Simon told the magazine, "If, as an engine engineer, I am given a maximum fuel load, I will try to give the driver the maximum horsepower possible, building the most efficient engine I can.
"It is a technical competition and as efficiency is obviously good for road cars, that could be good for them as well. So we want to try to adapt the rules we have in the run-up to the new engine formula."
He also insisted that the sport should gear (no pun intended) the new 2013 rules around the likely development paths of road-going cars in the future, in order to allow for F1 technology to filter down to roadcar level.
"Ideally, we would like to understand where road cars will be in five to ten years," he blurted out, "We would then create regulations for three years from now to anticipate this.
"This is the most difficult route because we don't want to impose our own views. We need to have a proper view of where the manufacturers will be."
He went on to say: "After that, we will do what is logical for the different championships. I think that could actually add to the show because with reduced displacement engines and lower torque, you could use additional electrical torque to differentiate between the cars, while at the same time developing and showcasing hybrid technology and performance that will be used in passenger cars."
Simon also pointed out that Formula One needed to be more open about its already-impressive green credentials, saying that the low carbon emissions of an F1 season should be highlighted to the public.
"Less than one per cent of an F1 team's carbon footprint comes from running its cars," Simon bellowed, "All the rest is from running the team, and above all, more than 60 per cent of the carbon footprint comes from the electricity they use in their factories and wind tunnels."
| Next > |
|---|
