• F1 teams to pay for budget cap enforcement
• Cotman appointed VP of competition by IRL
• Drayson-Barwell appoints new strategic consultant
• MSA/FIA spaceframe safety initiative
• XF1 Tech looking for projects
• Mygale to continue in UK F3 series
• Defra: Total UK GHG emissions figures dropped in 2006, but transport emissions rose 1.3%
• FTA 10,000 trucks may not comply with London LEZ

Speaking before a meeting with Formula One team representatives in Paris on Thursday FIA president Max Mosley outlined a proposal that would result in the F1 teams funding a team of auditors who would be charged with enforcing a proposed Formula One budget capping system starting in 2009.

Mosley’s plan would include the recruitment of 30 financial auditors from the UK’s Revenue & Customs service and equivalent bodies in other countries.

Mosley said, "The calculation is that if the average spend at the moment is €200m and it came down to €100m, then if each team paid €2m for this department they would still be saving €98m. It makes complete sense.

"The first reaction from the team principals will be that it is intrusive and they do not want people poking around their factory.

"But when you think about it, they will be happy with the budget cap and happy to spend less because it keeps them in business.

"The experience with McLaren taught us that if you can deploy the resources and you have sufficient expertise, you can find almost anything and the chances of someone doing work we could not find traces of is very small."

The organisers of the Indy Racing League have appointed Tony Cotman as the new vice president of competition for the US based race series.

Cotman recently resigned as the executive vice president and race director of the rival Champ Car World Series organisation.

The Drayson-Barwell Motorsport, which will race an E85 bioethanol fuelled Aston Martin Vantage in the GT2 class of the 2008 American Le Mans Series sports car racing championship, has appointed Dale White as a strategic consultant.

White was previously involved in the ALMS with his own Petersen/White Lightning team, which taking a sabbatical from competition, and will advise Drayson-Barwell team principal Mark Lemmer whose organisation is competing in the ALMS for the first time in 2008.

White said, "I am very excited for this opportunity with Drayson-Barwell. I have known several of the key people at Aston Martin Racing for a number of years. It is an absolutely top organisation and I am quickly learning Drayson-Barwell is also a well structured and professionally run group.

"It was disappointing not being able to continue our programme this year. However, as they say in life, as one door closes, so another one opens.

"I was contacted by a number of teams but the fit here seemed perfectly matched to my goals. Having an engineering background and experience in alternative energies, I was especially excited about Paul Drayson's push to run an E85 fuel in the Aston Martin Vantage GT2. It is going to be a very exciting year with a lot of new challenges. I am really looking forward to staying involved in the American Le Mans Series."

Team co-owner and driver Paul Drayson said, "I am delighted we will be working together with Dale this year. He has a tremendous track record in GT racing and will be a major asset to the team. I know we have a lot to learn in our first year in the American Le Mans Series, but with Dale's help, I am sure we will learn fast."

The UK Motor Sports Association (MSA) and the FIA Institute have concluded a test and development programme to further improve safety in grass roots motor sport.

The jointly-funded project has run a number of tests over the last two years to determine the safety-level of cars used in national championships. The work has focused on the "crashworthiness" of space-frame chassis construction race cars, which are used in national single-seater championships such as Formula Ford.

With assistance from Ford Motor Company and Van Diemen International, a standard Van Diemen Formula Ford chassis was fitted with prototype energy absorbing crash structures and subjected to frontal and side impact tests. The chassis and roll-hoop were also subjected to physical loading tests.

The Van Diemen chassis comfortably met the test criteria, demonstrating the high level of driver protection that can be provided by a traditional space-frame chassis. This chassis will be used as the foundation to develop low cost, but high performing safety features, including an energy absorbing nosebox, rear impact structures and anti-penetration side panels.

As a result of the work undertaken by the MSA, crash test criteria are in the process of being formulated for implementation in future cars of this construction and a full report will be completed for the FIA Institute.

Colin Hilton, MSA Chief Executive said, "I am delighted that the MSA's skills have been utilised to undertake this important project and I would like to commend John Symes and the other project partners for their excellent work. It further underlines UK motor sport's excellent reputation on the international stage."

Sid Watkins, FIA Institute President said, "Race car safety is of paramount importance at every level of motor sport. This is why the FIA Institute has actively supported this project from its inception and will continue to work with the MSA to develop safety at a grass roots level."

John Symes, MSA Technical and Risk Control Manager said, "A similar process was undertaken in respect of composite chassis construction a few years ago and this had led to a perception that space-frame chassis could not offer adequate levels of protection. It is essential that the risk inherent in motor sport continues to be managed to the highest possible level and the future introduction of these test criteria will contribute to the continuance of this form of chassis construction which is common in many formulae."

Mike Norton of Ford Motor Company said, "This project was initiated with the FIA Institute and MSA to confirm the strength of modern tubular steel chassis cars such as the Formula Ford. Safety is crucial to Ford Motor Company and having the cars certified by the FIA will enable Formula Ford's resurgence to continue into countries which stipulate this certification.

"This recognition will also be important in emerging markets where motorsport is growing fast. The opportunities to manufacture and design Formula Ford cars locally without the need for carbon monocoque designs will be most welcome. The ability to maintain and repair the chassis locally is another area that makes steel a favourable option.

"The recognition and certification of tubular steel chassis will mean this small specialist industry of designers and technicians will continue to be part of our motorsport heritage."

Steve Jenner of Van Diemen said, “We think that this is a very important project and it was a pleasure to work with the MSA, the FIA Institute, Ford and Cranfield on such a professional operation. We have always believed in the strength and safety of the space-frame chassis and I think that the results of these tests could well give a new lease of life to this type of racing car construction."

A group of five ex-Formula One engineers have set up a new UK company – XF1 Tech – which aims to offer their materials and design expertise to the wider engineering market.

Based in Bicester, Oxfordshire XF1tech has already conducted work in the aerospace industry where it was able to improve design to manufacturing techniques for a wing system and the company has also been working on a new sports car for a major manufacturer.

XF1 design director, and one of its co-founders, Tim Robathan said, “We’ve all had about 20 years in Formula One. We want to take the technology and mindset into other places.”

The French racing car constructor Mygale, based at Magny-Cours, will continue to be represented in the British Formula Three championship in 2008 after renewing its agreement with the Wellingborough, UK based Ultimate Motorsport team to use its chassis.

Ultimate was the only team to use the Mygale chassis in the UK series in 2007, in a series in which the majority of teams race Italian built Dallara cars.

Ultimate Motorsport team owner Barry Walsh said, "We are delighted to be continuing our partnership with Mygale and Mercedes for our second season in British F3, a season in which we hope to score the first F3 victory for ourselves and Mygale.

"Last year was a learning year for all of us - and we learned fast. We developed a very strong relationship with Mygale and that is one of the key reasons we are working together again in 2008."

The UK’s greenhouse gas emissions fell again in 2006, by 0.5% year on year, putting the UK in an even stronger position to exceed its Kyoto Protocol commitment, according to new figures from Defra.

Carbon dioxide (CO2), which makes up about 85% of the UK's total greenhouse gas emissions, stayed virtually the level (a 0.1% fall). The economy grew another 2.9% in 2006, meaning that the UK is continuing to break the historic link between economic growth and growth in emissions.

The biggest decrease in CO2 emissions was in the residential sector, with a fall of 4% on 2005 levels, along with a decrease of 1.6% in the business sector. Other sectors increased, including energy supply (up by 1.5%) and transport (up by 1.3%).

The UK's greenhouse gas emissions are now 16.4% lower than 1990 levels. When the effect of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme included, the overall reduction is 20.7%.

The Freight Transport Association is concerned that as many as 10,000 vehicles working in and around London may not yet be compliant with the new Transport for London Low Emission Zone scheme, which comes into force next Monday, 4th February. Vehicles which do not meet the required low emission levels face the prospect of paying a £200 per day charge or a penalty of £1,000.

The scheme initially requires vehicles of over 12 tonnes to meet Euro 3 emission standards for particulate matter in order to operate freely within the area bordered by the M25. It is estimated that each day some 50,000 vehicles are used to deliver goods and services to businesses and consumers within the Greater London area.

However, the FTA says it is possible that as many as 10,000 vehicles and their operators either do not meet the required standard or, despite efforts from the transport industry and from Transport for London, are still not aware of the scheme.

Operators of vehicles between 3.5 and 12 tonnes still have until 8 July to become compliant. There are a number of options available, including applying for a Low Emission Certificate, modifying the vehicle with a particulate filter or buying a compliant vehicle. Operators who do not take their vehicles into London are nonetheless recommended to check the Eligible Engines List (to get a Low Emission Certificate) as it may entitle operators to a reduction in Vehicle Excise Duty (VED).

The FTA’s Head of Policy for London, Gordon Telling said, “Londoners are entitled to cleaner air and all of us operating vehicles, whether they are cars, buses, taxis, or commercial vehicles, should do all we can to reduce emissions. However, this scheme achieves very little that would not have been achieved anyway as the result of enhanced EU engine standards. This means that Londoners, and lorry operators, are having to pay an enormous price - around a quarter of a billion pounds - £100 million of operator costs and £130 million of London taxpayers’ money - for a trivial improvement in air quality. The biggest pollution from traffic in London comes from cars and the scheme does not apply to them.

“This money could have been far better spent on grants or other incentives for the introduction of vehicles and equipment which actually would make a worthwhile improvement.”

Details of the Low Emission Certificate and the Eligible Engines List are available at www.fta.co.uk/lez