BAR founder, and manager of Jacques Villeneuve, Craig Pollock is looking to return to F1 with a new 'green' engine in time for the introduction of the new engine formula in 2013.

According to a statement issued by PURE (Propulsion Universelle et Recuperation d'Energie), the company has been established to respond to growing
demand for cutting edge, exceptionally efficient and high performance powertrains and F1 has been identified as the ultimate proving ground to evolve propulsion technologies applicable to a broad range of industries, including marine, aerospace, automotive and defence.

A key adviser to the project is Christian Contzen, the architect of Renault's success in Formula One during the 1990s, while Robin Southwell has been appointed non-executive chairman.

PURE's technology partners are TEOS, Mecachrome, D2T and IFP Energies Nouvelles (IFPEN), highly qualified specialists in powertrain design, prototyping and manufacturing, and France's leading developers of new and more efficient fuel technologies.

Radical changes to powertrain regulations for Formula One were ratified by the FIA's World Motorsports council in December 2010. The new rules, aimed at drastically reducing fuel consumption without hindering performance, illustrate the will of the FIA and Formula One's participants to be more environmentally conscious.

According to PURE, the new regulations present an ideal opportunity to capitalise on Formula One's status as a proving ground for new technology and demonstrate its expertise in high performance eco-friendly powertrains.

"The vision for PURE is to be a leader in the development of the next generation powertrain technology which must respond to the demands for a cleaner environment," said Pollock. "The 2013 Formula One powertrain regulation changes offer PURE an immediate platform to field test and validate future technologies for implementation in other industries. We have assembled an expert team, the finest technology partners and have received positive encouragement from the FIA"

"We welcome PURE to Formula One," added FIA president Jean Todt. "The rule changes for 2013 have been developed to provide lower cost, greener and more fuel efficient technologies for Formula One. We wish PURE every success in developing powertrains compliant with the new regulations."