Latest Press Releases
Archive

2^nd August 2006 (Source: EEMS )

The 27 July 2006 edition of Haymarket Publishing’s weekly motor racing magazine Autosport included a 12-page special report on energy efficient and environmentally friendly motorsport.

The magazine’s cover read, ‘Why F1 Must Go Green, and the rest of motorsport too’. Inside was an article by the magazine’s deputy editor Gemma Briggs which sought to round up the current situation and speculate on the future of ‘green’ motorsport. Among the motorsport industry figures interviewed for this article was EEMS project leader Dr Steve Bunkhall who said, “Motorsport can be seen to be part of the environmental problem or part of the solution. We want it to be the latter. If we want a future for motorsport, we have to influence and lead the way on development and use of alternative fuelled engines and technologies.”

Also included in the magazine was an interview with Max Mosley, president of the FIA the governing body of international motorsport.

In the interview by Autosport’s executive editor Anthony Rowlinson Mosley was asked if there was a ‘time pressure for motorsport to become greener?’

Referring to Formula One the FIA president replied, “I think that we should be doing it now. If the teams and the GPMA do not agree, we’ll go ahead anyway.”

The special edition also included a track test of the bio-ethanol fuelled Vauxhall Astra normally driven by Fiona Leggate in the British Touring Car Championship. Test driver Warren Hughes emerged from the experience as an enthusiastic convert to the concepts of alternative fuels and energy efficiency in motorsport. The article quotes Hughes as saying, “Motor racing in general has a real conflict of interest in some ways because of the perception that it isn’t good for the environment. With things like bio-ethanol working so well, it’s making it a lot more acceptable. Based on what I have experienced, there’s no reason why the whole industry shouldn’t be going in that direction. There’s no downside to it.

“The thing that would really send the message home is for the major categories to run it. If all the manufacturers in touring cars, or even F1, were running on bio-ethanol, the shift would be towards that. The message is that there is no performance loss. Results speak volumes in motorsport and results are what will change people’s perceptions about what is possible and to ensure that green fuels are no longer seen as a whacky idea.”

The report is rounded off with a report on the ACO and it’s promotion of energey efficiency and alternative fuels in the Le Mans 24 Hour race and the ALMS and Le Mans series, and an article that cast’s doubt on the likely effect of the FIA’s proposed ‘greener’ Formula One rules for 2009 claiming that they may have little effect on the racing and may merely be ‘window dressing’.

Click here to download the 'Autosport Green Feature' PDF the full 12-page special report on energy efficient and environmentally friendly motorsport

In order to view this PDF you will requre a PDF viewer such as Adobe Reader

-ends-

Autosport is published every Thursday. For further information visit www.autosport.com

Back to latest press releases