The celebrated Salon de l’Automobile opens (for the press) today at the Porte de Versailles exhibition centre in Paris. There are press conference involving the different manufacturers throughout the day (in fact they started at 07.30 this morning). The ones I am interested in are Renault and, this afternoon, Lotus. I will also see what else is going on in the car industry, specifically in relation to environmentally-friendly technologies which might be useful for the sport.
The sport has to move with the times, and try to be part of a solution, rather than an example of the problem. Some racing folk seem to think it makes sense to race gas-guzzling 5-litre monster engines. This is rather short-sighted in my opinion when the brilliant engineers in motorsport can help the automobile industry to improve its emissions, and thus its image as well.
“Some racing folk seem to think it makes sense to race gas-guzzling 5-litre monster engines. ”
They are engineering dinosaurs for whom the only answer is “bigger”, rather than the engineering led “better”.
Joe, no doubt there will be those who nail you for daring to suggest motorsport should change. They are the shortsighted ones, who can’t see how great the benefits are for the sport if it becomes seen as a positive contributor to the wider world. We already see how motorsport is seen in a positive light for thetrickle down effect of safety eqiupment and technology. But that has a limited ‘market’. If motorsport can become seen as a positive contributor to developing clean technology the outcome for the sport would be huge.
Well done Joe for being a knowedgable and passionate voice from the sport who can see the wood for the trees!
Joe,
Sorry to post comment here, but it seems there is no place for that on the GP+ page.
I was trying to subscribe to your magazine, but with only few races left it’s relatively few times more expensive than doing that at the beginning of the season.
And at the same time there seems to be no way for doing cheaper subscription for the few races only or alternatively paying the full price but getting the 20 issues extending into next season.
Maybe you should think about solving that. I bet I’m not the only one with this problem.
Great blog by the way.
Rafal,
You get 75 magazines for £25.00. What more do you want?
How right you are, Joe.
The Porsche GT3 Hybrid races at Petit LeMans this weekend with the Williams F1 flywheel technology.
Double-take on my part Joe – when I first read the headline, I thought you were off to the hairdressers…
Anyway, during your foray into all things Lotus, did you find out anymore regarding the fact Dr Mahathir (ex PM of Malaysia) is now involved?
@ Joe about the GP+ magazine – I am the same as Rafal – I don’t want the older magazines I just want the latest one after the GP.
Alan,
Then you must wait until the New Year.
Future should run on the yet called alternative fuels. Gasoline would stay for certain military vehicles, and hopefully will be kept allowed for use in old civilian vehicles. Just will be very very expensive.
And F1 should be allowed a bit of gasoline engine power in a hybrid car, for the sake of audio information and show for viewers.