McLaren will use the KERS until the end of the season
The McLaren team announced today that they intend to continue using their KERS in Grand Prix races. The kinetic energy recovery system will thus be available on the MP4 until the last Grand Prix of the 2009 season. The installation that was supposed to become mandatory in 2010, but which will ultimately be abandoned, was […]
The McLaren team announced today that they intend to continue using their KERS in Grand Prix races. The kinetic energy recovery system will thus be available on the MP4 until the last Grand Prix of the 2009 season.
The installation that was supposed to become mandatory in 2010, but which will ultimately be abandoned, was developed by four major teams during the winter. BMW, Renault, McLaren, and Ferrari were then expected to enjoy a significant advantage. The system indeed allows the car to gain an additional 80 horsepower for 6-7 seconds. And yet, by mid-season and despite the millions of euros spent to develop it, only Ferrari and McLaren are still using it.
Renault recently admitted that it no longer wants to install the KERS – Kinetic Energy Recovery System – preferring to balance the car rather than increase power. BMW, which was suffering from an unreliable KERS, did the same several months ago. Indeed, even though the KERS has advantages, it also has constraints, notably its weight, which prevents the F1 car from being effectively ballasted. A drawback that doesn’t seem to bother McLaren: « I think the only thing we don’t need to change is the KERS. We are very lucky and our system is very efficient. It is totally integrated into the car. If we didn’t have it, we would be disrupted on all levels. » commented Whitmarsh – director of McLaren-Mercedes.
« We want to keep the KERS for the end of the year. A backup strategy would be to develop a new car without KERS, but that would take us too much time and money and would encroach on the 2010 program. »
Even if he thinks it’s a good investment, Martin Whitmarsh claims not to want to use the package next season – as the FOTA (association of F1 teams) wishes: « I think that McLaren and Mercedes, in particular, have invested heavily in the development of KERS, but I think that in our interest and that of the sport, we will have to do without it next year. »
« The KERS is one of our strong points at the moment, but as agreed with the FOTA, we have to come to an agreement and we will sacrifice the KERS next year, even if it will be legal in the regulations », concluded the Englishman. « It’s an agreement we made together. »
