Kers system saluted

Mercedes-Benz High Performance Engines Ltd was honoured by the Royal Automobile Club on June 1 by becoming the latest recipient of the Dewar Trophy, the annual award to mark ‘British technical achievement in the automotive field’.

The company, formerly known as Ilmor and based in Brixworth, was chosen by the RAC Technical Sub-Committee for its Kinetic Energy Recovery System (KERS) produced for F1 in 2009. Lewis Hamilton’s win for McLaren-Mercedes in Hungary last year was the first for a GP car with KERS.

Mercedes-Benz HPE managing director Thomas Fuhr attended the lunch at the Pall Mall club to receive a replica of the huge trophy.

The Simms medal, which marks ‘motoring innovation by individuals or small companies that exemplify the spirit of adventure’, was also awarded. The RAC chose to honour the British Steam Car Challenge Team for its successful attempt to break the world’s oldest Land Speed Record. The steam turbine-powered vehicle set a new record of 139.843mph in California last year.