UK formula 1 is "losing innovation race"
Professor Rick Delbridge has today warned that the UK's £6bn UK motorsport sector is in danger of losing the global innovation race.
Speaking to the BBC, he said that new regulation and cost pressures are "closing the spaces where innovation is encouraged - or even allowed".
Previously, the vast amount of money invested in research in Formula One had led to innovations in everyday products, such as non-slip footwear or improved fishing line, to medically useful aids such as lightweight leg braces or monitoring equipment based on racetrack telemetry technology.
Professor Delbridge was eager not to "blame" regulation for "stifled experimentation and innovation" in the F1 industry.
Yet he described how caps on investments and other interventions could have "unintended consequences", pointing to how he had been told during his research that "many engineers feel their opportunity to be creative is hampered by regulation".
"Motorsport is highly regulated in order to ensure safety and fair competition," he said.
"However, this has led to the banning of certain materials and the restriction of research to developing more efficient engines, recovery of braking energy and recovery of heat."
Rick's research was funded by the Advanced Institute of Management.
- Download a copy of Racing for Radical Innovation
- Read more of Rick's BBC interview
- Read Rick's interview with the Times
- Listen to Rick on Radio 5 Live (25 minutes into the programme)