The Future of KERS in F1

KERS stands for Kinetic Energy Recovery System and made its debut in Formula One this season. This technology has not had the impact Max Mosley envisioned when he proposed the idea at the idea in 2006. Basically the system saves energy lost when braking. This energy can boost horsepower during the race.

There are several regulations regarding the use of KERS to ensure fairness. It is optional, so a team or driver can use it at one venue and not at another. The energy output is limited to 80 horsepower and drivers can only use this boost of energy for a total of 8 seconds per lap. When to use your KERS boost becomes a key tactical decision during the race.

The future of KERS in Formula One is in significant doubt. Some of the teams using it have spent as much as £45 million developing the technology. This equals the amount teams will be allowed to spend next season for the entire year. And that includes salaries.

The team dominating F1 this season, Braun GP, is not using KERS and has no plans to employ it in the future. Teams using the system are not only not seeing the results but, are experiencing adverse effects. Kimi Raikkonen has had the KERS system fail several times during racing this season. With the extra weight the system adds to the car, being unable to use the horsepower boost puts a driver at a serious disadvantage to lighter and better balanced cars. Not to mention trying to fend off a driver who can use his KERS to overtake you.

Given the economic restrictions proposed for next year in conjunction with the reliability issues inherent in the Kinetic Recovery System, I seriously doubt we will see any team employ the technology in 2010.

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