The call for F1 to change its gas-guzzling, tire-burnings ways has been going on for years, but
complacency wasn’t much of an issue until now, when, like all things, F1 must appeal to a broader audience by introducing new innovative ways and energy-conscious ideas to improve racing and the auto industry as a whole.
The revolution started back in 2006 when the head of F1’s governing body, Max Mosely, proposed the sport to go green, and as you can tell, that didn’t quite catch on with fans and driving teams alike. The argument from gearheads was that the cars themselves only account for a measly one percent of total emissions from the sport. The rest is from the manufacturing and transporting of equipment. Granted, the engines only manage a little over four mpg, but in the big scheme of things, it’s a drop in the bucket when compared to 18-wheelers to 767s.
Regardless, the brains at F1 racing have an ace up their sleeves to appease the nay-sayers. 2011 marks the return of the Kinetic-Energy Recovery System or KERS for short, which recycles the energy generated by vehicle during braking. 2013 is the target year to mainstream KERS, which would reduce fuel consumption by up to 35%. The process may not be pretty, but focusing on sustainability may bring about new and exciting aspects to the top tier of motorsport, creating a healthy environment while adding to the revenue that allows our favorite teams to do what they do best.
[Source: Wired]
