There's been a fair bit of rumbling that Formula One racing could go hybrid in a few years, and BAR team Captain Nick Fry just dumped a whole tank of methanol on the fire at the Global Motorsports Congress in Kronberg, Deutschland. Touting the benefits of improved fuel mileage and pointing out that engineering and building F1 powertrains is essentially an exercise in maximizing efficiency within a given set of rules, Fry was quoted as saying, Maybe Formula One in five years time or more should have a special formula for hybrid vehicles.
Still, no matter how efficient the cars are, moving the whole F1 circus around the globe isn't exactly the most fuel-efficient endeavor in the world, what with jets and big rigs and other assorted petrochemically-ravenous items. Plus, BAR's longtime engine supplier (and now owner) is one of the Big Two in hybrid powertrain development, so it makes sense from a PR standpoint for the Japanese automaker. We're interested to see how Enzo's children take up the gauntlet Fry's thrown down.
Hybrid race cars? Formula One captain sees it
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