Zak Brown wishes to exclude environmental protection from the capped budget

For several years now, McLaren has been investing heavily in the development and protection of the environment. As a pioneer in environmental protection, the Woking team became the first to receive the three-star environmental accreditation from the FIA. Since 2013, McLaren has maintained its stars.

McLaren has released its latest sustainability report. In it, they explain their actions, results, and provide concrete figures.

In 2022, McLaren emitted 66,110 tons of carbon dioxide over the year. A high figure that urges key players to want to reduce these high emissions. The team’s logistics and the cars themselves account for 23% of this CO2 production. Travelling around the world and an increasingly intense schedule contribute to a high impact. 36% of the carbon dioxide produced by the team comes from the development of materials. In short, the design of the cars and various parts.

The capped budget, a hindrance for actions

In a now blocked budget period, stables are counting every penny spent. Sometimes, it is the budget for environmental protection that falls by the wayside. We strongly believe in limiting expenses and would not want to compromise its integrity. Current regulations have created unexpected barriers to expenses regarding the environment, said Zak Brown, McLaren boss.

“It’s incredible to see such support from F1 and the other teams on this issue. But to unlock the full potential of the sport and our engineers on this matter, we need a major change. […] Our sport needs a clear regulation on the financial, technical, and sporting aspects that would allow us to innovate and invest better in sustainable development,” continued Zak Brown.

A collaboration too weak

For the McLaren director, the teams and bodies of the sport do not work enough together. Therefore, the work and effectiveness of the actions implemented are reduced. We need to find better synergies to share our expertise. Only true collaboration will help us achieve real changes. We can accomplish great things with the regulation change in 2026, the American continued.

McLaren especially demands to differentiate, in the budget cap, the expenses for car performance from those for environmental protection. This would increase the budget for environmental protection, in which many teams are involved, while allowing the amounts invested in this fight not to be counted. McLaren also requests a closer look at the materials and processes used in the design of the components of the race cars to make them more sustainable.

The diversity, equity, and inclusion, as well as the training and well-being of the team, should be exempt from the cost cap, just like the costs for apprentices and interns. This would allow for the development of different pathways to enter the world of motorsport for individuals from underrepresented backgrounds, continued Zak Brown.