Teams agree to scrap Kers system

[John S]

Instead of everyone focusing on this sort of news we are distracted by the budget cap pantomime show.

Mind you this could be a slap in the face for Max, he has made a point of pushing KERS even in the face of resistance.

The Formula One Teams' Association has agreed to abandon the energy storage and recovery system (Kers) for the 2010 season, BBC Sport understands.

The optional Kinetic Energy Recovery System can give cars a power boost, but only Ferrari and McLaren are now still using it seven races into the season.

Fota will drop it because of its poor uptake - and pressure from motorsport's governing body, the FIA, to cut costs.

Ferrari team boss Stefano Domenicali said it was a "logical decision".

When asked by BBC Sport F1 pundit Eddie Jordan ahead of the Turkish Grand Prix on Sunday if Fota teams had agreed and signed by democratic decision to abandon Kers next season in an earlier meeting, Domenicali confirmed that was the case.

"That is our position jointly," he said. "Of course we are the ones that are using it now with McLaren.

"We have invested a lot of money in it and it's difficult for the public to understand how there are cars with Kers and cars with no Kers.

"I think in the view of helping new teams to get into F1, and in order to save money, that is a logical decision - even if we have invested a lot of money in that project."

Under the rules at the start of this season, Kers - which provides drivers with an extra boost of power for 6.7 seconds per lap - would also be in place at the start of 2010.

The power - 80bhp - was also due to be increased next year, meaning all teams would have had to have had it in order to remain competitive.

But that will no longer be the case.

BBC Sport understands that Ferrari are desperate to drop their system because it has been so unreliable for them, while McLaren's package developed by Mercedes has proved more successful.

Though McLaren team boss Martin Whitmarsh is a fan of Kers, for a variety of reasons, he accepts that dropping it may be the only way forward.

"F1 has to demonstrate it has some green credentials," he told BBC Sport. "But, at the same time, in this economic climate everybody is looking to save costs.

"It has been a huge effort talking about new entrants and making sure these smaller teams stay in F1.

"McLaren's position is we would like to see Kers retained - but we also accept that we have to be responsible members of the F1 community and if the majority don't want to have Kers, or can't afford Kers at the moment, then we have to be realistic."

BMW Sauber and Renault both ran with Kers, which adds extra weight to the car, at the start of the season but both teams stopped experimenting with it after little success.

Championship pacesetters Brawn GP have no plans to introduce Kers to their cars.

BBC F1 website

[david1275]

                               

Hopefully FOTA can give Mad Max a few more things to smoke in his pipe!!

[Willy]

I applaud the teams decision to drop KERS as, in my view, it was costly to develop and too heavy to be an advantage.
Yes it gave an 80Hp boost but the cost was weight as the drivers had to drop pounds to keep the car under the required regulations for weight.

If the FIA is truly serious about reducing costs, pushing to keep KERS and all it's related expense did not make sense.

Max does not lightly back down from his visions but he will need too this time.

[cosworth151]

I'd imagine that course marshals everywhere are breathing a sigh of relief, too.

And that Sauber-BMW mechanic that got knocked on his backside is no doubt cheering, too!