Formula 1 (F1) has published its first Impact Report detailing how successful the sport is in delivering its sustainability goals.
Figure 1: Formula 1 Car. [5]
Significant Progress
F1 cars can use up to 37 gallons of fuel every race and average 6 miles per gallon [1]. Whilst not being the most efficient numbers in terms of fuel consumption, Formula 1’s first ever Impact Report boasts a 13% reduction in its carbon footprint during the 2022/2023 season (first unaffected season post Covid 19), compared to figures from 2018 as a baseline (pre-Covid 19) [2].
Sustainable Strategy
Following the launch of its Sustainable Strategy and inclusion aims in 2019, F1 set out its ambitions for achieving Net Zero Carbon by the year 2030 [3]. In order to achieve this, F1 aim to achieve an emissions reduction of 50% compared to 2018.
The report included impressive statistics and specific examples [4], such as:
- The Austrian Grand Prix reduced relevant emissions by more than 90% in the pit lane, paddock, and broadcast compound through a next-generation energy pilot. That trial is expanding in 2024 and beyond.
- The solar farm at the Bahrain International Circuit produced 5.28 MW of clean energy between the 2022 and 2023 Grands Prix – enough renewable energy to cover all the circuit usage for F1 with significant capacity to spare.
- The British Grand Prix was fully powered by green energy alternatives. This included 2,746 solar panels and the use of Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO) fuel in all temporary generators.
Although fuel emissions account for less than 1% of the overall carbon footprint, sustainable fuel development (i.e. carbon neutral) will be one of the significant contributing factors to achieve Net Zero Carbon, with ‘sustainable fuel’, being a mandatory requirement for racing teams by the year 2026. Fuel will be created from a combination of non-food bio sources, waste, or even carbon extracted from the air.
Work To Do
President and CEO of F1, Stefano Domenicali, has said “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.” [4].
The full 2023 Impact Report can be accessed online via the F1 Corporate website.
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References
[2] https://www.globalsustainablesport.com/inaugural-report-demonstrates-formula-1s-progress/
[5] Maxence Pion (2023) on Unsplash.com. Last accessed on 8th May 2024. Available at: https://unsplash.com/photos/a-man-driving-a-racing-car-on-a-race-track-D1rAzq9ArsE
