Brundle: KERS killed off 'too hastily'

Martin Brundle believes the loss of KERS and ban on refuelling for 2010 will leave F1 with 'rather predictable races'.

A voluntary agreement looks set to stop KERS - which provides drivers with an extra 80 bhp for seven seconds a lap - being used in F1 next season, while refuelling has been officially ruled out.

But Brundle, a former grand prix driver and present BBC F1 commentator, thinks that the decision to kill-off KERS - only used by McLaren, Ferrari and Renault at last weekend's Monza round - has been made too early.

"There is a voluntary agreement among the teams not to use KERS next season, so the excitement of the different relative performances in the charge down to the first corner and variable straightline speeds will not exist in 2010," commented Brundle in his BBC column.

"If the governing body, the FIA, had made KERS more powerful and allowed a few more engine revs over the 18,000rpm limit when it's deployed, then it would be a no-brainer to have it on the car.

"But the teams are saying "we have to cut costs" and I'm sure developing and manufacturing KERS systems and then transporting them and the extra technicians around the globe is a very expensive exercise.

"The teams seem united and assuming nobody breaks ranks they may well have abandoned the concept too hastily," he warned.

Brundle is also sad to see the end of refuelling.

"Formula 1 is definitely losing refuelling next year, which I believe will take away a level of intrigue and uncertainty," he declared.

"Let's be honest, every so often there is a refuelling issue and teams can change pit-stop strategies even during the race by short or long-fuelling. I like all that unpredictability and it often throws a bit of a 'double six' into proceedings.

"What we'll see next season is everybody starting on full tanks of fuel and it will come down to who has the most efficient engine along with whose 'fat' car handles well and keeps its brakes intact.

"There will still be some strategising due to pit stops for tyre changes but I'm concerned that dumping KERS and getting rid of refuelling will leave F1 with rather predictable races."