Williams still working on KERS system

[John S]

Looks like Frank & Patrick are not likely to rejoin FOTA in the forseeable future then!    

Williams is still working on its KERS system and planning to debut the technology at some point, according to the team's Technical Director Sam Michael.

Only Ferrari and McLaren are still persevering with KERS at Grand Prix this season, and the FOTA alliance of eight current teams have agreed not to use the systems at all next year.

Williams and Force India, however, were expelled from the teams association earlier this year, while the former team has been constantly working on its unique flywheel-based approach to KERS.  
 
A spokesman recently told us that, as a non-FOTA member, Williams is not strictly bound by the 2010 KERS ban.

"We still have a team of people working on KERS, but I don't want to put a date on when we'll run it for the first time," said Michael.

© CAPSIS International

[Jericoke]

Williams was designing a mechanical, rather than electric system, weren't they?

I wonder if there is a buyer for such a technology, or perhaps some sort of tax incentive as long as they work on it?

I'd like to officially go on record saying that scrapping KERS is a bad idea.  Everyone else loves Push to Pass, and both McLaren and Ferrari are finally proving it is a winning technology in F1.  (Even if Kimi still thinks 'push to pass' means using his front wheels on his neighbour's sidepods...)

[Scott]

I wonder if there is a buyer for such a technology, or perhaps some sort of tax incentive as long as they work on it?

I thought someone here said that they were already selling it commercially, for example for buses and trolleys.

[Monty]

Geri, I understand that the Williams system is a kinetic flywheel, so yes primarily mechanical not electrical.
I also think that the idea of giving the teams a choice (to include KERS with the resulting dynamic dissadvantages or leave it off and risk getting overtaken on the straights) was really interesting and I was hoping they would allow the option to continue for a few more seasons.
However, I can't see how Williams can continue unilaterally.

[Jericoke]

However, I can't see how Williams can continue unilaterally.

Easy, the provisional 2010 allow for KERS.

The FOTA teams (Ferrari, McLaren, RBR, STR, Renault, Brawn and Toyota), along with BMW (are they still part of FOTA?) have agreed not to use KERS in 2010.

FOTA excluded Williams and FIF1 before this agreement was reached, so they have signed no legal document that would exclude them from using KERS.

I don't know what kind of penalty FOTA would exact on, say, Ferrari, for using KERS, but it would not be an FIA imposed penalty.

As far as I know the 2010 specs are still provisional, though it would require unanimty to change them.

[Alianora La Canta]

I believe the only penalty FOTA can issue is expulsion, unless Williams signed up to additional expulsion penalties (a bond for good behaviour, for example) when it joined. Technically, Williams is still in FOTA, though what that means in its current state is unknown.

[cosworth151]

It may just be a classic case of not updating the website, but FOTA's site still lists both Williams and Force India as members.

http://www.teamsassociation.org/