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it last summer. The packaging and design demands of it has more-or-less created a totally new department within each team that chooses to use it (from what I understand, it is entirely optional at this point) and these packaging compromises are affecting almost every design aspect of this year's cars. I think F1 is trying to sell this to the public as though it is taking the reigns to promote development of alternative energy sources, and at the same time, take a leap onto the oh-so-popular "green" bandwagon. By not requiring its implementation though (so far), F1 has successfully placed all the responsibilities of carrying this "green" banner onto the teams. I find it a bit odd that on one hand F1 is currently considering limiting the usage of exotic materials to lower the costs of racing but on the other hand is taking a direction on development of what will most likely be a monetary black hole (KERS). Exotic materials, although more expensive, do have their place under the "green" banner as well if designed to take advantage of their enhanced properties such as their potential to make lighter weight structures without compromising strength, leading to better fuel economy, higher power to weight ratios, and increased fatigue life. I do believe that racing inspires innovation that eventually finds its way into the average consumer's hands, and maybe KERS will show itself to be a real winner in several years. Only time will tell.
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