[old man]

Back in spring of 2007 we had an amusing canter through thoughts about Global Warming and the idea that racing should be seen to care by changing the cars that we race before change was forced upon us. The discussion settled on bio fuels and the production of these with the effects on food production etc but we never got into discussing the actual sizes of the engines and changes to the cars in other ways.

In 2008 the oil price peaked at £147 bbl and whilst that was not sustained it is now floating between $70 and $80 and the car manufacturers are producing hybrids which seem to be the way forward. F1 has lost its appeal to manufacturers and development and marketing budgets are probably more likely to be directed at showcasing the new technology. The world needs cars, both to get about and to provide employment.

Some series, ALMS for one, have introduced new classes for smaller cars or hybrid rules and the relevance of racing overall, given the economic climate may be questioned.

My question here is really the same as in 2007, should racing lead or follow this trend?