Towards a more environmentally friendly Formula 1?

As the issue of ecology is at its peak, and sport is being singled out by many people, especially because of CO2 emissions, the practice of Formula 1, and motorsport in general, is at the heart of debates. Formula 1, the pinnacle category, is often classified as a sport that pollutes immensely. Therefore, the FIA has an important battle to fight in the coming years.

In the paddock, if there is one driver engaged in the environmental fight, it’s Sebastian Vettel. The German driver has continuously emphasized in recent years that Formula 1 should be more environmentally friendly. He has indeed been widely criticized and called a hypocrite by a Canadian minister following his wearing of a t-shirt during the Canadian Grand Prix this year. The t-shirt read “Stop the exploitation of oil sands. Canada’s crime.”

The Minister of Energy of Alberta, Sonya Savage, didn’t hesitate to react and responded via her Twitter account. “I have seen a lot of hypocrisy over the years, but this is truly the icing on the cake. An Aston Martin-sponsored racing driver, funded by Saudi Aramco, complains about oil sands. Saudi Aramco has the largest daily oil production of any company in the world. […] Instead of demonizing oil sands, which are on the path to carbon neutrality, people could look to reduce their own personal carbon footprint. Perhaps a pedal car for Formula 1?”

The FIA report

What did this report say? In 2019, the total CO2 emissions in Formula 1 were estimated at 256,551 tonnes. One figure should surprise some people, in reality, the cars themselves are only responsible for… 0.07% of these 260,000 tonnes. Over a full season, the 20 cars would burn approximately 150,000 liters of fuel, which is the same amount used for a Boeing 747 on a ten-hour flight. To put it simply, the consumption and emissions of Formula 1 cars remain low. So, the problem lies elsewhere…

The main cause of emissions

The journeys of teams to the four corners of the globe to compete in races are increasingly being talked about. Logistics alone is responsible for 45% of carbon emissions. Traveling around the world contributes to over a quarter of total emissions (27.7%).

In addition to this, it is necessary to take into account the emissions produced by factories and various facilities, which contribute to 19.3%, amounting to almost 50,000 tons of CO2. This is mainly because these establishments consume energy for heating, cooling, lighting, and even operating the machines.

The different events related to Formula 1 are responsible for 7.3% of these emissions.

A new biofuel?

By 2026, the project in Formula 1 is to produce and use 100% sustainable fuel. There will therefore be a change in regulations for power units. This year already, the mixture used that makes up the fuel used by the teams contains 10% ethanol, with the aim of reaching 100% by 2026. Going from 10% to 100% in less than 5 years may seem ambitious. British engineer Pat Symonds had declared: « What sets the objectives is simply to manage to find in sufficient quantity the fuel we need. There is plenty of ethanol, it is also easy to put it in. But when we start looking at these more complex molecules, there are not as many and that’s why the middle of the decade seems to be a realistic objective to us. »

Is F1 fighting the wrong battle?

The Formula 1 aims to achieve carbon neutrality by 2030 through the creation of new partially thermal power units, but this time fueled by renewable synthetic fuel. All these innovations obviously aim to reduce the carbon footprint of Formula 1, but the question that may arise is the relevance of this development. In fact, the carbon emissions from the race cars represent only a tiny, even negligible, part of the total CO2 emissions, namely, 0.07% out of 256,000 tons of CO2. Should other measures be taken into consideration?

Mercedes is taking precautions/measures.

The Mercedes team announced last month its intention to invest and use sustainable aviation fuel for different flights during the season. The German team aims to be a pillar in the fight against the current criticisms facing Formula 1. Following the invasion of Silverstone circuit by protesters, measures have been taken by the team led by Toto Wolff. Hopefully, these decisions will be sustainable and encourage other teams to follow the path taken by Mercedes. Obviously, other solutions are possible to reduce these emissions, starting with revising the calendar to minimize travel between continents.