It's ironic as we head to the gas-guzzling States that the chatter around the paddock has been about the greening of F1. The concept, unthinkable a few years ago, has been gaining currency for some time, but now concrete proposals have emerged and they would revolutionise the nature of the sport.
Petrol would be replaced by biofuels, which would power a smaller 2.2-litre engine with the revs capped at 10,000rpm, something that would save up to 30 per cent on current fuel consumption. Turbochargers would make a return to a V6 unit, although it would still produce 100 horsepower less than at the moment. The engines would have to last for five races, and energy recovered in braking would be made available to drivers as a power boost for overtaking.
It's not going to please some of the more traditional petrol heads (soon to be biofuel heads). For them, the more grunt the better, no matter how much waste goes into producing it. They want no-holds-barred racing with a rule book if not thrown out of the window, then pared down to a brief pamphlet. Small government is good government for them.
But F1 has always seen big rule changes. Remember the bans on turbo chargers and ground effect to name but two? The sport took a step backwards in terms of speed, but the FIA has always acted to keep a lid on developments that could be dangerous. Now they are acting to green the sport, keep costs down, and make F1 more relevant to road cars. On all three counts they should be congratulated.
If these proposals are accepted, cars may lap slower (for a while anyway). But the racing will still be as fierce as ever, and if drivers have an engine-boost button we may even get the novelty of overtaking returning to the sport. It will still be the pinnacle of motorsport because the engineering genius of the teams will still be free to make the most of the rules. As long as a common chassis isn't imposed on teams, F1 will still have the same spirit.
Let's be honest, it's high time that F1 became a bit more responsible. Attending the Monaco Grand Prix is a lesson in conspicuous consumption, and while excess away from the track may not be reined in, it's high time that the sport, like everyone else, started to address the problems of global warming.