CASE STUDY
A winning energy formula?
Despite Honda's shock announcement that it's pulling out of Formula One, the F1 circus is
gearing up for a new season, one that will see new energy-saving initiatives. But Grand Prix
motor racing can hardly be described as ‘green’, can it? Ruari McCallion investigates.
E
VERY SO often, you come but that rule was abandoned. Nick Fry, CEO of the fi rst racing cars to use disc brakes, derived
across something that seems Honda Racing, remembers the period. from aeroplanes. Weight-saving carbon-fi bre
to take the word ‘tokenism’ “At the time, the issue of fuel resources was pioneered in motor racing; its use as a load-
to a new level. At one of the wasn’t as high up the agenda as it is now,” he bearing material and as part of the protective
recent Formula One Grand Prix motor races says. “It wasn’t so much the wrong direction as passenger shell were fi rst tested on F1 cars.
the assembled surfeit of horsepower took to the a refl ection of trends at the time. We have been Grand Prix racing begins to look like an R&D
track wearing tyres that sported green stripes in lucky to have had the best part of two decades of laboratory, which - in certain cases - it is.
the grooves. Apparently, this was intended to economic growth, where increasing profl igacy There is going to be a big change in GP cars
raise awareness of green issues among the GP became more commonplace. Energy, compared for the 2009 season, which may turn out to be
fraternity, both on the track and spectating. with real incomes, was relatively cheap. Formula very interesting in the longer term.
The tyres themselves would follow the normal One is an extreme capitalist activity, which holds Next year, a system called KERS (kinetic
fate of sporting rubber; they’d be used for about a mirror to society and maybe we demonstrate energy recovery system) will be allowed; in years
80 miles and then discarded. Now, I’m a fan of some of the excesses. An economic recession to come, it will be compulsory. It isn’t an easy
motor racing and was delighted to see Lewis forces everything to look at itself very closely and technology and it needs accelerated development.
Hamilton become the youngest world champion, ask how we can save.” “It is enormously expensive. To a car
the fi rst from Stevenage - or anywhere in It is true that advances in motor racing tend company like Honda, it is an expense that they
Hertfordshire - and all the other fi rsts he achieved. to fi nd their way onto road cars, with generally will be reasonably happy to invest in because
But an activity that seems to glory in its benefi cial effects. they can see longer-term benefi ts,” explains Fry.
extravagance and profl igacy isn’t going to change Technologies like variable valve timing “It is diffi cult, also; I don’t think people really
its image with a bit of green paint. In the 1980s, (VVT) and variable geometry in fuel inlets have appreciate how diffi cult it is to integrate a system
when Honda-engined cars (McLaren, Williams) helped to raise engine effi ciency. like this onto a very small, very light racing car.”
dominated, there was a maximum fuel allowance, Jaguar’s Le Mans-winning D-Types were KERS harvests energy as a car is decelerating
In 2007 the Honda F1 team decided to shun convention and run their car in the global FIA F1 event without sponsors.
50 SUSTAINABLE SOLUTIONS December/January 2009
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