Electrifying changes for F1

Teams adopt hybrid power and adapt to slick tires.

After a long period of stable and increasingly specific rules, Formula One (F1) will see a flurry of innovation and a refreshing diversity in technical solutions during the 2009 season thanks to new rules that permit the use of hybrid assist in the drivetrain.

The devices, dubbed kinetic energy recovery systems (KERS), are limited in power to a maximum output of 60 kW, with a maximum energy storage and recovery per lap of 400 kJ. This will produce a full-power assist for about 6.6 s per lap, a boost that is expected to be used to attempt passing maneuvers, though of course the leading car can be expected to employ KERS to thwart such attempts. Estimates of the potential reduction in lap times range between 0.1 and 0.45 s, depending on the system used and the layout of the track.