Industry News
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<< Febuary 08
News for 5th March 2008
Mosley talks up green F1… again
FIA president Max Mosley has again talked about his vision of a ‘green’ future for Formula One.
In an interview with the UK’s Press Association news agency Mosley said that he wanted F1 to take a leading role in the development of new energy efficient technologies such as kinetic energy recovery systems (KERS) and that this would allow F1 to defend itself against criticism from environmental groups. He told the PA, "The trouble is, Formula One is probably by far the most complex sport ever," remarked Mosley. But with Formula One, with the technology we are promoting, they will become cutting-edge technologies for the car industry. Bringing them into F1 accelerates their production out of all proportion.
"With KERS (to be introduced in F1 next year), we will see systems that give 80 horsepower for six seconds every lap as it is able to store that amount and release it again. The equivalent in normal terms is like putting a small child in a car. When it slows at traffic lights from 50mph, it will be able to accelerate up to that speed again without burning any petrol. Can you imagine the same device in every London taxi? It would be dramatic.
"It is inconceivable in a few years' time that when you lift off the accelerator or you brake, energy is burned, turning it into heat and it then going into the atmosphere. Instead, it will be stored when the car stops and re-used when it starts up again. The sooner we do that, the greater the benefit to society and the environment.
"By bringing it into Formula One, we've accelerated research and thinking in those areas out of all recognition. It will then be very difficult for any environmentalist to attack us on the grounds our cars use around 60 to 70 litres of fuel per 100 kilometres. We can say we are transforming the speed these technologies will enter into the car industry, and also very importantly, making the public aware."
Silverstone plan to be ‘reconsidered’
The so called Masterplan for the redevelopment of the UK’s Silverstone race circuit near Northampton is to be sent back to the local council to be ‘reconsidered’.
According to a report in the Buckingham Today newspaper, close to 100 Silverstone village residents attended a meeting, held at the South Northamptonshire Council offices in Towcester last week to express their concerns over the development brief drawn up by South Northants Council and Aylesbury Vale District Council and agreed by the SNC cabinet earlier this month.
A key concern for the residents is that the brief, which provides guidelines for future planning applications, could result in nearly 200 new homes being built on the outskirts of the village, which they feel would place further stress on roads and infrastructure.
The BT article says that the villagers are worried that future large-scale developments could see their community 'sacrificed' as part of an effort to keep the Formula One British Grand Prix at the Silverstone circuit beyond 2009. Under planning agreements, contributions from house builders would pay for improvements to the circuit including a new pit lane and paddock.
At the meeting Councillor Ian McCord, asked for the brief to be called back to the full council for further debate and said, "It is that community, that village and that way of life we are being asked to sacrifice on the altar of the British Grand Prix."
Renault F1 team posts loss
According to the latest accounts posted by the Enstone, UK based Renault F1 team a pre-tax loss of £3.6m was made in 2006 despite the fact that it won the FIA Formula One World Championships for both drivers and constructors in 2005 and 2006.
The accounts show that although received prize money of around £15.7m for winning the world championship in 2005 and received funding from three new in 2006 it spent £134m in 2006. Salary payments to its 526 staff accounted for more than 25% of that sum with the team principal Flavio Briatore receiving £875,000.
New backer for Super Aguri F1 team
A German media report says that the Leafield, UK based Super Aguri Formula One team has secured sufficient backing to enable it to participate in the 2008 FIA Formula One World Championship.
The German magazine Auto Motor says that the funding will be provided by a group that is believed to be headed by a British company and a Middle Eastern sponsor, and possibly some German involvement and that although team principal Aguri Suzuki has sold his entire 100 per cent shareholding in the organisation, he will remain at its head and the team will continue to operate under the Super Aguri name.
Winners and losers in US merger
The recently concluded agreement to merge the US based Champ Car World Series and Indy Racing League single seater racing championships has resulted in a number of winners and losers among race promoters.
The Grand Prix of Houston round of the 2008 Champ Car World Series that was originally scheduled for April 27 has been cancelled due to the merger but race officials are already said to be in discussions about the possibility of holding the Grand Prix of Houston in 2009 with the American Le Mans Series and Indy Racing League as the headline races.
Meanwhile the organisers of the Australian Gold Coast Indy race, due to take place in October, have announced that the future of the event has been secured for another six years, even though it’s standing in the newly formed IRL IndyCar Series remains uncertain as contract requirements with US cities make it difficult to for the IRL to extend the season past its scheduled end in September.
Former deputy premier and Gold Coast Indy chairman Terry Mackenroth told reporters that the event would always be held in October. He said, "It will be part of a series. We are yet to negotiate what the make-up of that is. But it won't be an exhibition race."
ECO Project team to race at Sebring
The Norfolk, UK based ECO Project team will take part in the opening round of the 2008 American Le Mans Series at Sebring, Florida later this month as part of a new bio-diesel fuelled race programme.
The man behind the ECO Project is Ian Dawson who ran the EEMS supported Taurus Racing team which campaigned a diesel powered Lola in the 2004 European based Le Mans Endurance Series and in that year’s Le Mans 24 Hour race.
Speaking to the dailysportscar.com website Dawson explained some of the rationale of the ECO Project, which comprises a Radical sports prototype chassis powered by a refined version of the Volkswagen Toareg based diesel engine from the Taurus programme which will run on biodiesel fuel made of nuts from jatophra trees.
Dawson said, “The ECO Project is here partly to look into every type of material, not just fuel, that can be used in racing. For example, we’re looking at using hemp fibres in non-structural parts of the car: it’s a straw and fibre type of material, which I came across being used in the marine business. If you like, using hemp fibres is a way of saying ‘carbon is massively expensive, let’s find an alternative.’”
TRD USA president to retire
Jim Aust, who has been the vice president, motorsports for Toyota Motor Sales (TMS), USA and president and CEO of Toyota Racing Development, USA for the past ten years, is to step down on June 30.
Under Aust Toyota's racing programmes successes have included a victory in the Indianapolis 500, multiple series championships and the expansion of the company's racing activities into NASCAR. Aust's replacements at TMS and TRD will be announced closer to his retirement date.