Fia Unveils Radical Green Proposals For F1

FIA president Max Mosley has put forward a proposal for a radical overhaul of
Formula One to make the sport more environmentally friendly by 2011.

In the latest in a string of sport and the environment initiatives, the
motorsport governing body chief has laid out a set of proposals for discussion
which will link F1 research and development with that of road cars to maximise
the global use of green technologies.

The plans will be discussed by car manufacturers next month at a meeting of
the F1 Manufacturers’ Advisory Commission, which includes Volkswagen and Ford as
well as the road-car manufacturers in F1 – Fiat (Ferrari), Mercedes (McLaren),
BMW, Renault, Toyota and Honda.

The proposals include the use of smaller capacity turbo-charged engines using
energy-storage systems, longer-lasting engines and four-wheel drive systems.

The overall plan is to accelerate the use of green technology in road cars;
to help the manufacturers sell it to the public by using them in F1; and to save
money by ensuring the sport’s engineers do not pursue technologies that are not
relevant to road cars.

Mosley said: ‘We are in active discussions with the major manufacturers to
ensure that, in future, research and development relevant only to F1 will be
discouraged, whereas that which has relevance to road-car development will be
encouraged.

‘We understand that such an approach has broad support from the competing
manufacturers and we will work closely with them to ensure that, in particular,
the new environmentally relevant technologies that many of them are developing
are made our priority.

‘While aiming to achieve these goals, we will ensure that the sporting
spectacle of F1 remains the same or is even improved by the new developments.’

At the start of the season, Honda F1 unveiled a new environmental look for
its race cars with sponsors logos replaced by a big map of the earth as part of
a new environmentally-friendly campaign.