Our thinking

Beyond the finish line

1 September, 2023

Many of us like to spend Sundays watching Formula 1. With breakneck action on tracks around the world and an array of charming and handsome drivers, it’s easy to lose sight of the fact that F1 is responsible for 256,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions each year. Whilst F1 has made sustainability a top priority in recent years, is it actually driving towards its goal? Perhaps it is.

Surprisingly, 73% of emissions come not from the cars, but from logistics, including moving teams and equipment to each race and fan travel. This is why the recent news from the team Mercedes is welcome. Their recent sustainability report highlights that increased efficiency and investment in alternate fuels led to a 21% reduction in air travel emissions, while journeys across Europe have seen an 88% reduction in carbon due to the use of biofuels in their HGVs.

And then there’s innovation. Much as space exploration has delivered many and varied innovations that make life on earth just that little bit better, from wireless headphones through to memory foam mattresses, so the financial clout of F1 is helping turbo charge innovation in less speedy vehicles, including better brake and engine systems. F1 has developed a hybrid engine which maintains the speed of the cars whilst consuming less fuel. With further changes coming to the sport in 2026 with the introduction of sustainable fuels, the impact on the automotive industry is likely to be felt for years to come.

So while it’s debatable that a sport that builds a schedule that involves a race in Miami, followed by Azerbaijan, then Barcelona and then back to North America for the Canadian Grand Prix, has fully taken on board the need to rein in its carbon footprint, the greater prize perhaps lies in the ways in which well-funded niche industries, where success is everything, can invest in solutions that can ultimately benefit us all.

By Alex Gibbs