Formula 1 considering ethanol race fuel

The insular cadre of teams and drivers at the top of road racing's most expensive and high-tech series may not be as isolated from the ecological pressures of the outside world as it first appears.

According to two-time world champion Emerson Fittipaldi Formula 1 is considering a switch to ethanol for its race fuel.

Brazil, Fittipaldi's home country, is one of the world's largest markets for ethanol production and use. He said F1 CEO Bernie Ecclestone has been in contact with the largest ethanol supply group in the country since last year.

Also a two-time Indy 500 winner, Fittipaldi noted that the United States' Indy Racing League has already made the switch, and he expects more forms of racing to follow that example.

The mixture used in IRL is not a mixture at all, but 100% fuel-grade ethanol. Whether F1 is looking at a mixture, like the common E10 and E85 blends found at service stations across North America and elsewhere, or a pure ethanol fuel is unknown.