Sauber will not use the technology that already exists at its Hinwil headquarters when KERS systems return to formula one next year.
At a meeting of technical bosses last weekend in Canada, it was reinforced that the FOTA group’s voluntary ban on the energy recovery technology is set to lapse in 2011.
But even though Sauber’s former owner BMW successfully developed and raced at huge expense an electronic KERS system last year, new boss Peter Sauber has revealed that it will not reappear next year.
Germany’s Auto Motor und Sport claims that if Sauber runs a KERS system, it will be purchased from Ferrari for one million euros.
When asked why Sauber will not use BMW’s KERS, Peter Sauber answered: "It was an air-cooled system, with far too many disadvantages."