Way back in the deeper recesses of the twentieth century there was a famous old saying, ‘racing improves the breed.’ It was automobile racing’s mantra for many years, but as we all know, times have changed dramatically. In American racing, at least, technology has been choked off at the pass and entertainment rules. The Spec Car Age has arrived and it’s all about the show and close racing with NASCAR setting the standard, like it or not.
But apparently I’ve underestimated
FIA president
Max Mosley and the Grand Prix Manufacturers’ Association by suggesting that
Formula One is also headed down the spec car route. A couple of weeks ago Mosley announced he has reached agreement with the GPMA over F1’s technical issues and said that everyone is on the right track to negotiating over the course of next year a new Concorde Agreement (which governs the financial and commercial terms of the
F1 world championship) for 2008-12. Mosley and GPMA chairman Professor Burkhard Goeschel, who is a senior advisor to
BMW, also revealed their general ideas for rediscovering the concept that, ‘racing improves the breed’.
Mosley and the GPMA have agreed that F1 will begin pursuing green technology in 2009 with the introductuion of regenerative braking. In 2010, recovery or re-use of heat lost by the engine will become part of the new formula followed by the introduction of biodiesel fuels. Mosley says we may also see smaller-capacity turbocharged engines in 2011 or ‘12.
Mosley and Goeschel are also talking about permitting some version of stability control which is already beginning to appear in some road cars. Stability control is an electronic system which automatically adjusts steering, throttle and brake controls so that the uneducated driver can safely negotiate any corner. BMW is in the vanguard of applying these systems to its road cars.
