With just five races to go before
the Kinetic Energy Recovery System (KERS) becomes history,
Force India Formula One team has closed that option, saying
it`s not worth the money or hassle.
|Last Updated: Sep 06, 2009, 06:12 PM IST|Source: Bureau
New Delhi: With just five races to go before
the Kinetic Energy Recovery System (KERS) becomes history,
Force India Formula One team has closed that option, saying
it`s not worth the money or hassle.
Force India chairman Vijay Mallya told that
introducing KERS at this stage would not only upset the car`s
balance but also burn a hole in his pocket.
With the Formula One Team Association (FOTA) deciding to
shun KERS from the next season, Mallya said it was not worth
spending a fortune on the device.
"It`s going to be impossible to introduce KERS in the
last five races," he said.
"It weighs a good 30 kilos, changes the entire balance of
the car and just for five races, well, I think it`s useless,"
Mallya said.
KERS was introduced this year to rev up racing with the
device allowing drivers an 80bhp power boost which they can
use for up to 6.7 seconds each lap.
Force India`s VJM02 cars were initially designed to run
KERS and the outfit had plans to introduce it from European
Grand Prix onwards but the weight and cost factors made them
change their mind.
A typical KERS package weighs 30-35 kgs and Force India
engineers realised that if they fit it to Adrian Sutil`s
car, the VJM02 will cross the weight limit even with a minimal
fuel load.
Mallya was not much impressed with KERS, even though he
conceded that the device made sporadic difference in the
second part of the season.
For instance in Spa, where it cost Force India its first
race win as Ferrari driver Kimi Raikkonen used the boost to
get past Giancarlo Fisichella`s VJM02.
"I think what happened in lot of races that some teams,
not all, spent lots of money developing cars with KERS. In the
first half of the season, KERS did not work at all.”
"But in the second half of season, it did occasionally,
like in Spa, it made a difference. Indeed, if Ferarri did not
have KERS, we would have won the race. Fisichella was quicker
than him right from the start," Mallya said.
"The fact remains that from next year, there is no KERS
any more. So at the end of the day, there is no point spending
enormous money to get KERS for just five races," Mallya said.
Bureau Report
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