FIA GREENLIGHTS GREEN-FUEL CHAMPIONSHIP
FIA WORLD TOURING CAR CHAMPIONSHIP TO RUN ON BIO-FUEL
In one of the first developments of its kind the FIA World
Touring Car Championship (FIA WTCC) is set to run on bio-fuel
from 2009 after the FIA World Motor Sport Council gave unanimous
support for the initiative. Bio-ethanol fuel will be introduced
to the FIA WTCC alongside unleaded petrol and diesel in 2008,
before a switch to an exclusive bio-fuel powered championship
in 2009.
Jacques Behar, Chairman and CEO of championship promoter
KSO, said: “With the close relationship between touring
cars and their road-going equivalents we believe that the
WTCC is the logical platform to raise public awareness of
bio fuels. Alternative fuels will also play a major role in
motor sport's future and it is our goal to be at the forefront
of this technology."
All stakeholders in the FIA WTCC, including car manufacturers
and sponsors, will take part in the development programme
and will help to analyse the different biofuels that are currently
available on the market. The aim is to identify the best possible
solution for a fuel with more bio and less fossil components,
which will then be submitted to the FIA Technical Department
for final approval. Bio-fuel, a fuel produced mainly from
organic matter, can help to reduce global warming by removing
carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
The FIA WTCC, one of the FIA’s three World Championships
alongside Formula One and World Rally, is now in its third
season having gained increased popularity worldwide. After
a successful start in Curitiba (Brazil) on 11 March, the second
event of the 2007 season will take place on 6 May in Zandvoort
(Netherlands).
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