Jean Todt to push for 'green' technology in Formula 1

Todt wants F1 cars to use more environmentally friendly technology
Formula 1 bosses are to investigate ways of promoting the advance of environmentally friendly technology.

The idea is the brainchild of Jean Todt, who succeeded Max Mosley as president of motorsport's governing body the FIA in October.

Ex-Ferrari F1 engine boss Gilles Simon has joined the FIA to lead the project.

Todt, who revealed the plan in an interview with French newspaper Le Figaro, added that more needed to be done to cut costs in F1.

Todt said he regretted the decision by F1 teams to abandon the Kers energy recovery and power boost systems that were used in 2009.

The teams dropped Kers - which was only used by McLaren, Ferrari, Renault and BMW Sauber - on cost-cutting grounds.

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"I am convinced that we absolutely must reflect the environment with new technologies," Todt said.

"We must adapt to our time and review fundamentally motorsport - even create new disciplines.

"After giving up on Kers, we will accomplish nothing innovative next year. I'm sorry about that. I have therefore decided to create a working group... Gilles Simon, former boss at Ferrari engines, will join the FIA in this context."

Todt's views on cost-cutting mirror those of Mosley, who was forced out of the FIA presidency after a long and bitter political battle with the F1 teams through the summer.

Mosley had wanted to introduce a budget cap of £40m, but the teams rejected that idea and have instead made big cuts by limiting spending in certain areas of research.

The teams' umbrella body, the Formula 1 Teams' Association (Fota), has pledged to continue to find ways to cut costs.


Todt says abandoning Kers was an error and that costs are too high
Major car manufacturers BMW, Honda and Toyota have all quit the sport in the last year in the wake of the global financial crisis.

Four new teams are joining the F1 grid in 2010, having lodged entries before Mosley was forced to formally abandon the budget-cap plan.

Todt added: "The F1 teams are sometimes blind and do not realise what is happening in the world. But the racing has been struck as always by the [financial] crisis.

"F1 is too expensive, and my predecessor Max Mosley made great efforts to reduce costs, but it was not enough, especially as some teams were resistant.

"I am sad that Honda, BMW and Toyota are gone, but when you spend a lot and the results are not there, it's inevitable. On the other hand, it's great that new teams will be coming in.

"But the cost-saving measures already taken are not sufficient. I am against limiting regulatory budgets but if we want to perpetuate F1 it takes a real awareness and fundamental decisions."