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Formula one is a world on its own. Every driver of an average compact car knows that the technology used in the racing cars is light years away from his own set of wheels, from what we he encounters when he drives in his car to his job or brings the kids to school. While perhaps some people dream of taking a nice lap on the Silverstone or Hockenheim racing tracks once in their life, most drivers certainly would not give up the comfort and versatility of their everyday vehicle in exchange to a formula one racing car (no HVAC, not even enough loading space for a beer crate, and the sun roof cannot be closed).
Now it seems like the Formula one world has come somewhat closer to the Peugeots, Fords and Volkswagens of the everyday world: The new F1 rules allow the use of Kinetic Energy Recovery Systems (KERS), just like cars with a hybrid drive. Doesn't make this the inaccessible Formula one world somewhat more human, isn't it almost affecting how they try to squeeze out the last quantum of efficiency out of their fuel?
Of course they don't do these things because they have to save on fuel. Nevertheless, the experience gathered with the KERS systems ( see article) will bear fruit in a couple of years in that it will be fed into the design of our everyday vehicles. In that sense, future formula one races will be a kind of beta test for the next-generation commercial cars. A huge beta test, indeed. One of the engineering masterminds in the McLaren construction camp said he likes the opportunity to test these energy recovery technologies in high-class racing cars, since technological and financial resources are so excellent. On the other hand, there is also a downside: Everyone can see if an engineering team is off the mark with its ideas and implementations. "When your ideas fail, hundreds of millions will notice it immediately," he said. Never fear — we all will know that it is just a beta test, after all.
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