Buzzin F1 – Formula One Blog

Craig Pollock - P.U.R.E.

P.U.R.E. (Propulsion Universelle et Recuperation d’Energie) will use Formula One as a test bed for high performance environmentally friendly propulsion technologies.

P.U.R.E. has been established to respond to growing demand for cutting edge, exceptionally efficient and high performance powertrains. F1 has been identified as the ultimate proving ground to evolve propulsion technologies applicable to a broad range of industries, including marine, aerospace, automotive and defence.

The company has been established by chief executive Craig Pollock, previously founding partner and team principal of Formula One’s British American Racing (B.A.R.) team. He has recruited a world-class team of management and technical partners. A key adviser has been Christian Contzen, the architect of Renault’s success in Formula One during the 1990s. Robin Southwell has been appointed non-executive chairman.

P.U.R.E.’s technology partners are TEOS, Mecachrome, D2T and IFP Energies Nouvelles (IFPEN), highly qualified specialists in powertrain design, prototyping and manufacturing, and France’s leading developers of new and more efficient fuel technologies.

Radical changes to powertrain regulations for Formula One were ratified by the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (F.I.A) World Motorsports council in December 2010. The new rules, aimed at drastically reducing fuel consumption without hindering performance, illustrate the will of the F.I.A and Formula One’s participants to be more environmentally conscious. The new regulations present an ideal opportunity for P.U.R.E. to capitalise on Formula One’s status as a proving ground for new technology and demonstrate its expertise in high performance eco-friendly powertrains.

Craig Pollock commented:

“The vision for P.U.R.E. is to be a leader in the development of the next generation powertrain technology which must respond to the demands for a cleaner environment.  The 2013 Formula One powertrain regulation changes offer P.U.R.E. an immediate platform to field test and validate future technologies for implementation in other industries. We have assembled an expert team, the finest technology partners and have received positive encouragement from the F.I.A.”

Jean Todt, president of the F.I.A. said,

“We welcome P.U.R.E. to Formula One. The rule changes for 2013 have been developed to provide lower cost, greener and more fuel efficient technologies for Formula One. We wish P.U.R.E. every success in developing powertrains compliant with the new F.I.A. regulations.”