Jan 21 2008
A1GP World Cup of Motorsport made history om 18 to 20 January as all 22 national teams competing in the A1GP Taupo, New Zealand take to the track with biofuel in their tanks. The landmark event will make A1GP the first truly global motorsport series to race on a 30 per cent biofuel mix.
The cornerstone of an ambitious series of initiatives to help reduce its environmental footprint, A1GP's new fuel, an ethanol based product Hiperflo™ E30, is sourced from sugar beet in Europe and produced specifically for A1GP. Developed in partnership with Zytek, the series' engine manufacturer, the fuel produces less harmful particulate matter than conventional fuels and will reduce CO2 emissions by 21 per cent per car based on a wheel to wheel calculation.
The introduction of E30 was delayed from the start of the season to ensure vehicle performance wasn't affected by the change, but A1GP CEO Pete da Silva says the short wait has only made the switch more exciting.
‘Through our THINK Greener Racing initiative we're committed to leading a revolution that helps the planet and safeguards the future of our sport,’ da Silva said. ‘The number one priority is to produce a cutting edge series, but we firmly believe we can deliver exciting racing while minimising the impact of our operations on the environment.’