Yes/No on Battery Power rule in Pit Lane

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As part of a series of rules changes designed to spur green-tech innovation and promote sustainability within the sport, Formula 1 sanctioning body recently announced that, as of 2014, cars must travel on battery power only while in pit lane.

The technical rules for 2014 published by the FIA state cars must run “in electric mode” with “no ignition and no fuel supply to the engine at all times when being driven in the pit lane.”

Effectively, the new rules will turn every F1 car on the grid into dual-mode hybrid electric car, and force designers to build reliability into each of the cars’ existing KERS-flywheel hybrid systems (which will, presumably, continue to charge the cars’ batteries).

This ruling joins Formula 1's return to turbocharged V6 engines as part of 2014's sweeping changes, and serve as a stepping stone towards Jean Todt’s ultimate goal of an all-electric race series.

Boullier Fear

Renault team boss Eric Boullier is among a number of Formula One personalities to express fears that plans to make cars run electrically in the pits from 2014 is too dangerous

He said "The concept is intriguing but... the cars would not make noise and that could be very dangerous,"

Ferrari Boss Stated Pros and Cons

"There are different opinions on that," admitted Ferrari boss Stefano Domenicali at the Nurburgring, admitting that "some manufacturers" are not keen.

"This is a topic that in my view, because of the situation that it is for 2014, it can still be discussed, we have the time to discuss it in a proper way," he added.

Domenicali said one potential problem is that F1 would lose some "passion" with a silenced pitlane, while another is that cars not making any sound could be a safety issue for those working in the area.

Agreed Renault technical director James Allison, who is also FOTA's new technical chief: "There are pros and cons with it from an operational point of view that we're still discussing."