Filed under: Motorsports, Green, Tech, Ferrari
Ferrari split as Formula One goes hybird
Formula One is going hybrid starting next year, according to statements released by the sport's governing body the FIA. The Kinetic Energy Recovery System (KERS) will be phased in over a period of several years, starting with the 2009 season and culminating with the full-fledged implementation by 2013. The system works essentially by storing energy expelled under braking, which can then be used via a "push-to-pass"-style button mounted on the steering wheel that drivers can employ for an extra power boost.
The reaction within the Ferrari team, meanwhile, has been mixed. Vice-president Piero Ferrari – Enzo's son who owns 10% of the company – railed against the idea, saying it goes against the FIA's cost-cutting measures and will cost the teams inestimable sums of money to develop. Former driver Michael Schumacher, meanwhile, who remains close to the team, voiced his support for the system, saying that road cars and the environment will reap the benefits. All the while, Ferrari prepares to sell its system to other teams, starting with Force India, which, alongside Scuderia Toro Rosso, already buys its engines from Ferrari.
[Source: Autoblog Green and F1-Live]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Toy Yoda 4:37PM (4/23/2008)
Why not restrict the fuel supply that F1 cars can have at any given race and let teams figure out what technology they should use to meet such requirements. That way, they may actually come up with possibly more and better ways to get at the real world problem (rising fuel cost and fuel shortages.) than having a solution "dictated" to them?
Shrug. Don't follow F1 all that much.
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Cameron 4:47PM (4/23/2008)
I agree something like that is a good idea.
I was thinking more along the lines of letting any propulsion system that does not make power through the burning of fossil fuels of any kind make as much power as it wants, while those who wish to run gasoline engines may do so under the current regulations.
Ed 7:47PM (4/23/2008)
The trouble with that (simple consumption regulations) is that the drivers will drive in a less agressive and entertaining way.
I do understand the need for some regulations, but those in F1 seem way more complicated that they need to be. I think more effort should be made to simplify the regulations, whilst at the same time keeping the cars sufficiently slow (for safety), the racing tangible and exciting, and pressuring develpment towards technology relevant to road cars.
This KERs thing seems pretty cool. The idea it might reduce the direct (and negligible) fuel consumption of F1 is totally irellevant. That the tech might be used on road cars is very relevant.
Adam 4:49PM (4/23/2008)
This will be interesting to see. I was sort of put off to the news at first, and yes, the cost-cutting contradiction comes to mind. But, it'll be interesting watching the turbo-button come into the mix, in a sport where passing has been happening less and less.
So in a few years time, we could potentially have lighter cars, with no traction control, slick tires, and the electronic equivalent of nitrous... racing at night.
F1 might earns some new fans again.
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jason 4:58PM (4/23/2008)
To ahve an engine freeze for a number of years and then have the teams develope an all new system to the Nth degree, doesn't make sense to me. I thought they would continue the trend to reduce capacity from 2.4L and reintroduce forced induction, an already developed technology. I can't see private teams developing all new means of propulsion.
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pmiddle5 5:09PM (4/23/2008)
The engine freeze still makes sense. They dont want the teams to continue to find power through higher rev's which is the only "easy" way to do so and does not benefit road cars at all.
The FIA is just trying to shape the direction they want the technology to go. I see this as nothing but good! Hopefully this will eventually work its way into the ALMS as well and Iam super disappointed by Honda for not releasing a hybrid NSX or Toyota for the LFA or whatever its called not being hybrid.
This is the way technology is going to have to start to go to meet the mandates
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Jvijil 5:10PM (4/23/2008)
hybird huh? so now they've resorted to using birds for fuel??? hahahahaha
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mctwist16 5:36PM (4/23/2008)
Wow i totally overlooked that, good eye.
Canada can supply as many Canadian geese as needed...even then there would be an overpopulation of them.
Jvijil 5:50PM (4/23/2008)
hahahaha nice one
Yar 5:19PM (4/23/2008)
At this rate, why not just give them all bicycles?
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John 5:32PM (4/23/2008)
Bicycles aren't safe enough. Have to go to big wheels.
Jons 5:57PM (4/23/2008)
Who the hell cares about the emissions blown out of the cars, when more and more races go overseas to states like dubai or malaysia, and make teams burn enourmos amounts of CO2 by having to fly all of their equipment there.
And then theres another climate killer that will be introduced, called the "night" race, which will ironically be as bright as the day because of all the lights theyll have installed there.
Whoever thinks that F1 is going to be environmental friendly by going hybrid must be a complete dumbass. The only positive thing i can see about it is that car developers will pump lots and lots of money into hybrid development, which will then pay off for consumer cars as well.
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pmiddle5 6:59PM (4/23/2008)
Thats how it IS going green...Simple as that. Reguarding the fuel mileage as well I'd much prefer that then to some sort of rev cap or anything along those lines. Thats how they began ro regulate turbo power in the 80's, fuel caps came about
B. Gates 6:48PM (4/23/2008)
Max should ask Bernie to join him in one of his videos, so these brilliant ideas like F1 going 'green'do not happen.
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tankd0g 7:24PM (4/23/2008)
People hear the term hybrid and they automatically think green. This is nothing more than an updated version of the ill fated flywheel storage system that had been tried in race cars before but the ridgid mounting of the mechanical flywheel linkage led to the flywheel acting as a gyroscope and screwing up the car's handling and even preventing it from going up and down hills. By attaching it to an electric generator the flywheel can be placed on gimbals so that it's free to stay upright as the car changes orientation. The cars will probably end up using MORE fuel in the end to spin up and move this extra equipment, but the driver will have a "turbo" button available to him as a result. this could make actual passing commonplace in F1 again. Bring it on.
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komamura 9:43PM (4/23/2008)
well hills wont be a problem thanks Mr.Tilke and his awazing (read strile) track design
zigzagz94 8:32PM (4/23/2008)
"Push to Pass" sounds like the "turbo boost" option KITT had in the '80s. Who knew Knight Rider was so ahead of its time.
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Beastage 8:43PM (4/23/2008)
People ignore the most horrible fact!!! it will kill the smaller teams! they can barely keep up with the top 3 and now this?! we'll be left with only the big teams racing.
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ermax18 8:56PM (4/23/2008)
You know if you make the whole F1 field run hybrids, global warming will come to a halt. You know, 20 race cars burning for a total of what 5 hours or so is what is causing global warming. This is just another BS marketing tactic. I also love the new water bottles that claim to have less plastic in them in an effort to be green when really they just made a smaller bottle with less water and charge the same price. hahaha. Brilliant, so we get cool points with the tree huggers and we make more money. Tons of companies are making green movements that actually have nothing to do with GW and all to do with making stock holders more money. But hey that's how biz goes, you can't fault them for it. Damn it, my Dog just farted. Sorry guys I will tell him not to do that again.
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Jeff 3:48AM (4/24/2008)
Dude, you're missing the point. It's called the trickle down effect. Motor racing is wasteful by nature, obviously it'll never be 'good' for the environment, its just a sport. But this will put a lot of money towards development of technologies that'll eventually get into the hands of regular drivers.
I've been saying for a while that regen braking could do a lot for racing if you could find a way to store and discharge the energy really quickly. (Ultracaps or even a hydraulic hybrid system would really work best). And it sounds like it's being implemented just as I always wanted it: a big red button.