OK, I admit it. I didn’t have a bloody clue what was going on last weekend in Australia. Within 1 week the world of the Formula 1 fan has gone from one of expectation to that of confusion. How many appeals does it take until we actually get a result – you know, a final result?! But the thing that confused me the most was all the talk of curves, kerbs (no you muppets), the KERS system – an arcade style speed boost. Here for the average man in the street is an explanation of what KERS means to Formula 1.

KERS – Kinetic Energy Recovery System. What it does is store the energy that builds up during breaking. This energy is stored in a battery that can then be used as a horse power boost. It’s all about the environment (cough), you supplement your cars power from a battery charged whilst breaking. But how is this useful in the high speed world of Formula 1?

The KERS systems used in Formula 1 are highly advanced. Enough power is stored per lap to allow teams running the KERS system to have a 82 horse power boost for 6.6 seconds. Remember this is every lap. This is never going to save the world, but what it will do for Formula 1 (or at least the FIA hope so) is give drivers a better chance of over taking. In the world of motor sport overtaking = excitement. Excitement = bigger audience. A bigger audience = more money! Formula 1 has become a procession and the advertising revenues reflect that, there’s a credit crunch on don’t you know! To appeal to a global audience Formula 1 needs more action and that is what KERS is all about. As a bonus it also gives TV channels the chance to put a nifty boost graphic on their live Formula 1 coverage!

The ironic thing is that no matter what gimmicks Formula 1 come up with to add excitement to the racing, none of it will do any good until we let the drivers race without endless appeals, complaints and stewards decisions.