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[sidepodcast]

there's been some talk on this forum in the past about the future of F1 and the use of bio-fuels. but it came as a bit of a surprise to learn that F1 is going 'bio-friendly' from next year. williams have already run their car in the new configuration:

http://www.autoindustry.co.uk/news/02-11-07_16

and renault say it's not a big problem to change engine mapping:

http://www.sidepodcast.com/2007/11/26/biological-fuel/

just curious if anyone has thoughts on how this might effect the cars next year, and why Honda aren't banging their eco-drum about these changes already?

i was reading today that the FIA are pleased with their 10 year engine freeze ruling and that the future of energy recovery is bright, yet still no mention of bio-fuels. very odd.

[deMuRe]

there's been some talk on this forum in the past about the future of F1 and the use of bio-fuels. but it came as a bit of a surprise to learn that F1 is going 'bio-friendly' from next year. williams have already run their car in the new configuration:

http://www.autoindustry.co.uk/news/02-11-07_16

and renault say it's not a big problem to change engine mapping:

http://www.sidepodcast.com/2007/11/26/biological-fuel/

just curious if anyone has thoughts on how this might effect the cars next year, and why Honda aren't banging their eco-drum about these changes already?

i was reading today that the FIA are pleased with their 10 year engine freeze ruling and that the future of energy recovery is bright, yet still no mention of bio-fuels. very odd.

Good point, you would think that Honda would be the first out with this to remain true to their "Earth Car" theme. Perhaps it's got something to do with the marketing boffins at all the big oil companies sponsoring the teams. My guess is that until they start pumping biofuel at the gas stations they wont bother with it in F1.

LoL, you could put air intake valves under the drivers asses and change engine mapping for periodical eco friendly methane boosts. Driver's water bottles would all have "essence of cabbage" added and I'd imagine you'd see drivers the night before the race tucking into a decent portion of baked beans, boiled eggs and brussel sprouts washed down with a big glass of 2 day old milk...

[deMuRe]

LOL, you would see some uncomfortable drivers walking around at the start of the race trying to hold it in to ensure a "good launch off the line"....

[Martin]

there's been some talk on this forum in the past about the future of F1 and the use of bio-fuels. but it came as a bit of a surprise to learn that F1 is going 'bio-friendly' from next year. williams have already run their car in the new configuration:

http://www.autoindustry.co.uk/news/02-11-07_16

and renault say it's not a big problem to change engine mapping:

http://www.sidepodcast.com/2007/11/26/biological-fuel/

just curious if anyone has thoughts on how this might effect the cars next year, and why Honda aren't banging their eco-drum about these changes already?

i was reading today that the FIA are pleased with their 10 year engine freeze ruling and that the future of energy recovery is bright, yet still no mention of bio-fuels. very odd.

Bio fuel is not as green as it sounds. Quite simply there is not enough land to produce enough bio fuel to make a replacement for fossil fuels. Some bio deisel crops are now said to be causing food shortages. Some of the growing and production techniques are far from 'green'. The environment is a major issue for us all, but there are no simple answers unless we consume less and breed less. Can F1 ever really be green? The fuel burn phase in quali 3 did not help the F1 environmental image at all

[mooker]

LOL, you would see some uncomfortable drivers walking around at the start of the race trying to hold it in to ensure a "good launch off the line"....

Lol, you'd get more of Kimi's "I was taking a sheet" comments on the grid walk

[deMuRe]

Haha Mooker, funny stuff... I'm sure it would be in his contract that this is not allowed so close to the start of the race...

[bud]

Bio fuel is not as green as it sounds. Quite simply there is not enough land to produce enough bio fuel to make a replacement for fossil fuels. Some bio deisel crops are now said to be causing food shortages. Some of the growing and production techniques are far from 'green'. The environment is a major issue for us all, but there are no simple answers unless we consume less and breed less. Can F1 ever really be green? The fuel burn phase in quali 3 did not help the F1 environmental image at all

That is true about the crops and harvestation methods fo bio fuels

Bio Fuels arent the answer to F1. ultimately internal combustion engines might have to go if F1 is to be green.

[darwin dali]

Bio fuel is not as green as it sounds. Quite simply there is not enough land to produce enough bio fuel to make a replacement for fossil fuels. Some bio deisel crops are now said to be causing food shortages. Some of the growing and production techniques are far from 'green'. The environment is a major issue for us all, but there are no simple answers unless we consume less and breed less. Can F1 ever really be green? The fuel burn phase in quali 3 did not help the F1 environmental image at all

So very true. It's all the craze here in the States, mainly in the midwest, but it's short-sighted. Apparently the Brazilians are ahead of us and use different technologies to make ethanol even out of the stalks rather than only out of the sugar cane (their main crop to make their EtOH on which the entire country runs in US-made flexfuel cars).

[darwin dali]

there's been some talk on this forum in the past about the future of F1 and the use of bio-fuels. but it came as a bit of a surprise to learn that F1 is going 'bio-friendly' from next year. williams have already run their car in the new configuration:

http://www.autoindustry.co.uk/news/02-11-07_16

and renault say it's not a big problem to change engine mapping:

http://www.sidepodcast.com/2007/11/26/biological-fuel/

just curious if anyone has thoughts on how this might effect the cars next year, and why Honda aren't banging their eco-drum about these changes already?

i was reading today that the FIA are pleased with their 10 year engine freeze ruling and that the future of energy recovery is bright, yet still no mention of bio-fuels. very odd.

No biggie - FIA regulations determine that only fuel can be used in F1 which is being sold in the EU as consumer gasoline, the composition of which is determined by the EU parliament and changes periodically. If there's a wee bit of ethanol (bio or not) mixed in, that's not gonna make much of a difference. I doubt consumer cars will have to be adjusted at all - F1 cars can have their engines fine-tuned to adjust to the new fuel mix.

[sidepodcast]

F1 cars can have their engines fine-tuned to adjust to the new fuel mix.

i thought engine changes were banned for 10 years? or are you referring to remapping via the ECU etc?

[Selcouth_Feline]

Bio fuel is not as green as it sounds. Quite simply there is not enough land to produce enough bio fuel to make a replacement for fossil fuels. Some bio deisel crops are now said to be causing food shortages. Some of the growing and production techniques are far from 'green'. The environment is a major issue for us all, but there are no simple answers unless we consume less and breed less. Can F1 ever really be green? The fuel burn phase in quali 3 did not help the F1 environmental image at all

Exactly. Recent research also shows that biofuels also don't live up to many of their carbon emissions claims - when they burn, they may give off less emissions, however their manufacture tends to emit quite a lot of emissions, therefore they aren't as green as everyone seems to think.

Ethanol in particular is getting a bad rap over water supplies - the fertilisers and pesticides being used on it have contaminated some water supplies, plus it may not help areas with low water tables as the crops take a lot of water to grow.

With regards to the food shortages - half the problem is that biofuel crops are very lucrative therefore farmers are turning to biofuel crops instead of food crops. This leads to a shortage of locally produced crops, which means that food sources have to come from further away - and this increases carbon emissions.

I dont' believe in much of the green propaganda however I do think F1 needs to look at technology like this, if only because I think it's the way motoring will go (away from petrol based fuels) and it will be interesting to see what F1 engineers can come up with!

[raithrover]

I don't think Biofuel is an option currently. Teams can look to reduce their carbon footprint or run the lorries on such fuel to deflect such criticism.

[sidepodcast]

I don't think Biofuel is an option currently. Teams can look to reduce their carbon footprint or run the lorries on such fuel to deflect such criticism.

it seems to be catching though:

http://tinyurl.com/2o2zup

"The CCXR Biofuel upgrade has been developed in-house on the factory's engine dyno by the skilled technicians at Koenigsegg."