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Formula One targets greener future



Formula One teams are close to agreeing upon a new engine formula for the six-year period beginning in 2013.

Until then, development of the current 2.4 litre V8s will remain 'frozen', to be replaced thereafter by similarly powerful engines that use less fuel, emit less pollution and are affordable for the small teams.

Spain's El Mundo Deportivo newspaper said an in-principle agreement has been reached for a four cylinder, 1.5 litre engine equipped with a twin-turbo and direct injection. The new formula would reportedly also involve KERS.

"If F1 has to develop something helpful for real (road) driving conditions, then the best solution is for an engine that is turbocharged and GDI (gasoline direct injection)," Ferrari CEO Amedeo Felisa said. "That is what we would support. It is the best solution for driving efficiency and utilisation of the engine in a positive way."

Mercedes' Norbert Haug agrees that smaller engines are likely for reasons of consumption and emissions, but warns that high technology needs to remain a crucial focus. "If you fly from Europe to Japan on a 747, you would use more fuel than an entire F1 season," he said. "We need to see the whole picture."