Formula 1's likely switch to smaller turbocharged engines for 2013 must include the introduction of cutting-edge fuel efficiency technology, too, says Ferrari's CEO Amedeo Felisa.
With teams closing in on plans to use 670hp 1.5-liter turbocharged engines from 2013, Felisa believes the sport should be even bolder in embracing the latest knowledge, and pursue the more economical Gasoline Direct Injection (GDI) system. At the Beijing Motor Show on Friday, Felisa told Autocar that F1 could improve its relevance to the road car industry by adopting such engines.
"If F1 has to develop something helpful for real driving conditions, then the best solution is for an engine that is turbocharged and GDI," said Felisa. "That is what we would support. "It is the best solution for driving efficiency and utilization of the engine in a positive way."
Earlier this week, Mercedes Benz motorsport boss Norbert Haug said he, too, expected smaller power units to be adopted – but urged caution for those who thought it would be possible to make the sport totally "green."
"The fascinating thing about Formula 1 is it's fast, it's loud, it's on the limit," he said. "We can discuss green initiatives, but Formula 1 needs to be technically driven. If you fly from Europe to Japan on a 747, you would use more fuel than an entire F1 season. We need to see the whole picture.
"We need to be mindful that we are building the cleanest cars we can. The engine will be downsized in 2013 because the fuel consumption has to go down, and we need to cut carbon emissions. But we must not think that a 700hp engine is going to be the greenest car ever, because that's not great."