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WTCC SWITCHES TO 2G BIO-FUEL

In 2009, the WTCC gives a further contribution to make motor sport more eco-friendly by starting the season in Brazil with the whole field powered by second generation bio-fuel.
During the winter tests, teams began using the new bio-fuel supplied by PANTA that, following an invitation to tender, was appointed by the FIA as the championship's official fuel supplier for 2009 and 2010. "We are pleased, because they did not encounter technical problems," said Luca Perani of PANTA Racing.
PANTA supply both petrol and diesel fuels; the petrol is composed by 10 per cent of second generation bio-ethanol and 90 per cent of unleaded fuel, while the diesel has a 10 per cent of vegetable bio-diesel produced from rape oil.
"The E10 choice was dictated by the need to find a compromise between the aims of reducing the emissions and preserving the existing cars. Bio-fuels are far more aggressive with tanks, pipes and injectors, that need to be changed when their percentage is increased; with the E10 the current cars don't need any changes," Perani explained.
PANTA's second generation bio-ethanol is made from industrial wastes of sugar processing, while the first generation bio-ethanol is made from food crops: sugar, starch, vegetable oil, or animal fats. The use of second generation bio-ethanol reduces the use of fossil fuels, greenhouse gas emissions and pollution, without interfering with the production of foods.
"Ethanol contains oxygen, which helps regular petrol to burn more cleanly and completely. The use of E10 bio-fuel reduces petroleum use by 6.3 per cent and also reduces harmful emissions of carbon monoxide, particulate matter, oxides of nitrogen, exhaust volatile organic compounds and ozone-forming pollutants," concluded Perani.
Fuel consumption during one WTCC racing season totals to 60/70,000 litres.
Among motor sport's international series, the FIA WTCC is one of the championships taking the lead in promoting eco-friendly initiatives and technologies, and proposes itself as the ideal platform to raise public awareness of bio-fuel worldwide. The Super 2000 cars that take part in the WTCC are closely derived by the production models on sale to the general public, and furthermore the championship's technical and sporting regulations have been carefully studied to limit the environmental impact in terms of air and noise pollution.

In 2009 a new system of Compensation Weight (art. 79 of the Sporting Regulations) determines the running weight of the WTCC cars on the basis of lap times. The best  times of the two fastest cars of each model in qualifying and the two best lap times of the two fastest cars of each model in both races are averaged. The calculation is based on a three event rolling average, except it is applied for the first time after the first two events. e.g, the results of Events 2, 3 and 4 determines the compensation weight for Event 5. All the cars run in the first two events of the season on the minimum weight fixed by the Technical Regulations. 

The maximum compensation weight is 60 kg and is applied between a maximum of +40 kg to a minimum of -20 kg.  When a model's average is within the 0.3-second threshold in relation to the fastest model, no action is taken.  If a model is slower than the fastest model by more than 0.3s, 10 kg are deducted from the maximum compensation weight for every complete 0.1s more than the +0.3s threshold, up to a maximum of 60 kg. When a model with less than 60 kg of compensation weight is within 0.3s of the fastest (reference) model, 10 kg are added to the current compensation weight per complete 0.1s within the 0.3s threshold. The fastest (reference) model always has the maximum compensation weight on board.

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