KERS edges closer to Formula 1 return

The subject of KERS was brought up in last weekend's meeting of the Formula One Teams' Association (FOTA), and teams agreed that providing certain performance and cost targets can be met then there would be no move to block its return for 2011.

Renault and Ferrari have led the push for a KERS comeback, but other outfits, including Williams and Mercedes GP, are now keen to bring the energy recovery technology back into F1.

AUTOSPORT understands that teams will be allowed free choice on which system they use - so they will not be forced to run a standard unit - while smaller teams are likely to be given the option of buying KERS from a manufacturer team or from independent supplier like Flybrid.

Work on progressing the KERS regulations is now likely to accelerate, with Mercedes GP CEO Nick Fry telling AUTOSPORT that he expected several teams would run KERS in 2011.

"We are looking at the application of KERS," he said. "We haven't come to a definitive solution, but I am a proponent of that type of technology. I would not be surprised to see it on several cars next year."

Ferrari team principal Stefano Domenicali was also optimistic that KERS would now be back in 2011 after the positive support from rival outfits.

"I hope that this will happen and for sure we will try," he said. "We are working around this project and we feel it is the right direction to take.

"We are all working very hard to make sure the package is reliable and performing, because we cannot run the risk of seeing what we had last year which was something that was performing good but not enough to put in the car. This is what we are doing now."