Formula 1 shares the strategy for its race to Net Zero
Formula 1 stays on track for its decarbonisation strategy
We’re set for a crazy finish to the 2024 Formula 1 Championship in Abu Dhabi this weekend. Max Verstappen might’ve already been crowned World Champion for the fourth year in a row, but there’s all to play for as McLaren and Ferrari battle for the Constructor’s Championship.
That’s not the only exciting thing happening in the sport, as in 2019, Formula 1 stunned the world of motorsports by announcing its goal to reach Net Zero Carbon by 2030. Formula 1’s starting point is a baseline of 256,000 tCO2e released during the 2019 championship.
As an organisation, they are committed to decarbonising their operations and supply chain in line with the goals of the Paris Agreement. This commitment covers the activities of the teams, race promoters, and strategic suppliers to Formula 1.
“Sustainability is one of the most important factors to us, not only as a sport, but as a business. It is no longer enough for us to simply deliver great action and wheel-to-wheel racing on the track, we need to ensure that we are doing so in a sustainable way so our sport can thrive long into the future.”
Stefano Domenicali, President & CEO, Formula 1
In their 2023 Impact Report, Formula 1 shared that their emissions have reduced by 13% since announcing their target. They also disclosed the key categories driving their footprint: logistics (49%), business travel (29%), event operations (12%), factories and facilities (10%), and F1 car fuel (<1%).
Taking on the challenge of lower-carbon logistics
To tackle logistics emissions for its European races, Formula 1 relied on DHL’s fleet of biofuel-powered trucks. Travelling more than 10,600 km and transporting 300 tonnes of freight per race, the emissions for this transport were reduced by 83% with biofuels.
The key reason logistics takes up such a significant share of Formula 1’s footprint is the global racing calendar. That is why they’re implementing schedule changes to ensure it can be compatible with their journey to Net Zero.
"When you can reduce those distances, you can reduce your carbon footprint, in addition to the technological innovation that we can then support, such as biofuels and trucks, and sustainable aviation fuel in the future."
Ellen Jones, Head of Energy, Sustainability and Governance at Formula 1
This year, the Japanese Grand Prix was moved to April to be closer to the Australian and Chinese ones. The Qatar Grand Prix was also moved back-to-back with the season closer in Abu Dhabi. In recent news, we saw that the Canadian Grand Prix will be moved after the Miami one from 2026 onwards.
With the calendar changes, Formula 1 can reduce the distance travelled by freight between events, ensure that races in the same regions can follow one another and prevent unnecessary back and forth across the globe, not only for the equipment but for all the teams.
Formula 1 is taking climate action at its races
Formula 1 also works with the Race Promoters to ensure they contribute to the championship’s environmental commitments. They are asked to report their emissions yearly and increasingly use renewable energy on race day.
Organisers rely on energy from the grid, generators, and on-site renewables to power their events. In 2023, 75% of promoters leveraged renewable energy to power some aspects of their event, compared to 50% in 2022.
The Australian Grand Prix benefited from biofuel-powered generators and 600m2 of solar panels that delivered 2.5MWh of energy during the event. The British Grand Prix was also powered by 2,746 solar panels and had generators running on Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil.
Regarding the cars' fuel, racing regulations will require teams to power their engines with 100% sustainable fuels by 2026. Teams will have to rely on fuels made from agricultural waste or carbon captured from the air rather than fuels made from food crops that could disturb agricultural production.
The fuels developed by teams and their energy partners will be “drop-in” fuels, which could also be used by conventional vehicles. Throughout the 2023 season, cars in the F2 and F3 series already ran on 55% sustainable fuel.
Driving change in the transportation industry
Formula 1’s decarbonisation vision extends beyond the emissions released throughout the championship. They believe they can play a role in accelerating the decarbonisation efforts of the transportation industry, which accounts for roughly 15% of global emissions.
Formula 1 strives to use its innovation capabilities and platform to scale emission reduction initiatives in the sector. Innovations from the sport, such as hybrid drivetrains, have enabled energy recovery from a car’s braking power and have made their way to the everyday vehicles we use.
If we’ve witnessed the development of hybrid vehicles coming from innovations made in Formula 1 cars, we could hope that their decarbonisation efforts, such as scaling the development of sustainable fuels, will lead to significant emission reductions outside of the championship.
“We are a global sport with over 700 million fans around the world, which gives us a great platform to create change and influence those watching and engaging with F1 to act and leave their own positive legacy.”
Stefano Domenicali, President & CEO, Formula 1
With such a following and global influence, Formula 1 is in pole position to educate millions of motorsports fans about climate change, raise awareness of environmental issues, and create waves of climate action in sports and other industries.
