Formula One Sets Green Regulations

Written by Gage Love

Formula One Sets Green Regulations - Despite representing an industry which has been known to be quite unfriendly to our environment, Formula One racing is pushing for a more eco friendly industry. The Federation Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) is the governing body of the Formula One race circuit.  On June 5, 2008 they announced the launch of their Make Cars Green campaign which aims to reduce the impact of motoring upon our planet.

 “Make Cars Green aims to encourage radical rethink in the way cars are considered in society by being at the forefront of encouraging considerate and ecologically sound mobility,” says their official website.

The campaign was initiated with a global promotion by distributing flyers through FIA’s wide network of international partners.   The flyers listed 10 suggestions that consumers can do to help green the motor industry.  They were:

•    Buy Green
•    Plan your journey
•    Check tire pressures frequently
•    Reduce loads and avoid the need for roof racks
•    Don’t warm up your engine before starting off
•    Use air conditioning only when necessary
•    Accelerate gently and keep your speed constant
•    Use engine braking
•    Don’t idle your engine
•    Offset your CO 2 emissions

Being the governing body of the F-1 racing circuit, the FIA also regulates the design and construction of participating cars.  President of the FIA, Max Mosley, announced that by 2013 all cars on the circuit will become hybrid.
 
Mr. Mosley spoke at a conference in Geneva to the International Advanced Mobility Form.  In this speech he stated that,“in 2009 Formula One is going hybrid as the first stage of a programme to divert the vast research effort at the pinnacle of motor sport towards energy efficiency.  The development of engines has been frozen, meaning that extra power can only be gained by making better use of energy, or by getting more useful work from the fuel burned.”

Innovations and technologies from the F-1 circuit have been known to make their way to the average consumers automobile.  By setting engine restrictions and promoting a more efficient use of energy in the F-1 circuit, we might just bear witness to leaps in green technologies within the motor industry.

Mr. Mosley backed up this point with another statement at this conference in Geneva.

“By bringing in rule changes which make these technologies the only means by whicha power advantage can be obtained, we can ensure that the outstanding engineers and huge budgets available to Formula One will be deployed on energy recovery technologies which are directly relevant to the car industry’s efforts to reduce CO2 emissions as well as the average motorist’s fuel bill.”