F1 Racers To Go Hybrid
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA 
on 08.30.06
"Racecar" and "fuel-efficiency" aren't two things that we normally associate together, but two Italian companies, N.Technology and Tatuus, are aiming to change that. They've teamed up to produce a hybrid-drive single-seat Formula car. Sure, saving gas and going fast are cool (especially in combination), but we're most excited that the idea that going green can make cars faster has made it to that level, and that highly competitive and creative engineers will be helping develop hybrid technology. N.Technology's Andrea Fiorani reports that the first season for the formula will be the 2007 season. ::Gizmag via ::Jalopnik
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Finally! I was wondering when this would happen.
Of course, In auto racing, "saves gas" means "fewer pit-stops" where time is lost. I'm surprised this hasen't happened sooner!
I neveer thought it would happen. My last guilty pleasure is cleaning up.
I'm sure their motives are also driven by the fact that less gas usage means less stops in the pits.
Cool idea, one more aspect for a team race team to shine. Who can build the best system that can store the most energy and then return it in the most useful way. Let's hope this is one of those items where the race car tech ends up improving road cars.
The only reason they havn't done this already is because it's against the rules in every auto racing leauge in the world. They're not mandating the use of hybrid drive, they're just allowing racecar engineers to do what they've wanted to do for years. Racecar engineers are probably more concerned with fuel efficency than most tree huggers. They have to make the best use of the available fuel to get the most power. You want to clean up cars... make friends with auto engineers instead of blaming them. You'd probably learn a lot.
How about a F1 series run all on electric! Fill the area inside the track with solar panels, charge up batteries during the week, then divide those total Amp-hours by the number of teams at the weekend and give them each a certain amount of batteries and -voila- self sustaining car racing!
Unfortunately the Silverstone GP here in England would probably become one of the shortest and slowest ;)
THIS IS NOT F1! This is a pair of cars in a small european series of the Touring Car series, which is NOT NEARLY as technical, as advanced or as popular as F1. In an UNRELATED story, FIA chief Max Moseley has commented that he'd like to see regenerative braking and hybridisation come into F1. This is more like a Formula Renault car.
Please fix your headline, as it's just plain wrong! Any follower of pure F1 will be disappointed by seeing a lesser racing form confused with the most elite.
with the tech they should have came up with this eva since