Formula 1 (F1), considered the pinnacle of motorsports, is currently under scrutiny by both the public and experts regarding its environmental sustainability. The carbon footprint of this global series is significant – not only from the fuel combustion in the single-seaters, but even more significantly due to the global logistics, air transport and demanding infrastructure of the events. The F1 management, together with the International Automobile Federation (FIA), has decided to tackle this problem systematically: their goal is to achieve carbon neutrality by 2030. Therefore, in the 2024 and 2025 seasons, intensive development of measures across all segments – from energy sources to fan participation – will continue in an effort to significantly reduce the environmental burden of the most popular automobile championship in the world.

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Main components of F1 emissions

 

An analysis of Formula 1's carbon footprint shows that racing cars account for only a negligible portion of total emissions. In 2019, the emissions dynamics amounted to approximately 256,000 tonnes of CO₂ equivalent, in 2022 F1 managed to reduce this value to 223,031 tonnes (a decrease of 13 % compared to 2018). The percentage share of the individual components looks like this:

– Logistics and material transport: Approximately 45–50 % of emissions are generated by transporting equipment, cars, spare parts and tyres by trucks, ships and planes. This logistics operation is the largest source of F1's carbon footprint.

– Team and staff travel: Approximately 25–30 % emissions are associated with the transportation of team members, officials, journalists or partners to individual events.

– Circuit and infrastructure operation: The operation of the circuits themselves, including temporary structures, lighting, broadcasting equipment, electricity generation and other elements, represents 7–12 % of carbon footprint, with the biggest "jumper" being night races with increased electricity consumption.

– Production and operation of team equipment: The development of single-seaters, the operation of factories and administrative headquarters generates approximately 10–20 % of total emissions (19 % in 2019, due to the transition to renewable sources 10 % in 2022).

– Direct fuel consumption by single-seaters: In modern hybrid racing cars, this is less than 1 % of total emissions – proof that the real problem in F1 is not the engines themselves, but everything that “surrounds” them.

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Shows connected to viewers

 

F1’s official balance sheet does not yet include the impact of hundreds of thousands of fans travelling to major races, although this group significantly increases the environmental footprint of sporting events as a whole. Studies suggest that up to 85 % of emissions at major events are generated by the transport and accommodation of spectators. For a “Grand Prix”, where fans fly across the world or travel hundreds of kilometres by car, this amounts to tens of thousands of tonnes of CO₂ per weekend. That is why F1 is introducing, for example, the possibility of offset compensation when purchasing tickets and encourages the use of environmentally friendly transport. However, the regulation points out that the organiser cannot directly influence these emissions.

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Sustainable fuels and technological innovations

 

One of the firm pillars of the environmental strategy is the transition to increasingly cleaner fuels: from 2022, the single-seaters will run on E10 (10 % biocomponent), with the aim of introducing fully synthetic, non-fossil fuels (so-called drop-in fuels) that will be compatible with all F1 combustion engines by 2026. Development is progressing in cooperation with Aramco - the fuels will be produced from, for example, non-food biomass, municipal waste or captured CO₂. The expected emission savings are 80 to 96 % compared to standard petrol.

In parallel, the development of the most advanced hybrid power units continues, which already achieve the world's highest thermodynamic efficiency (over 50 %) with a maximum output of around 1,000 horsepower. From 2026, the share of electric energy (MGU-K) will increase to half of the total engine output. Although fuel combustion on the track itself forms only a small part of F1's ecological footprint, the advancing development of sustainable power units can also influence other sectors of the automotive industry in a certain way.

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More efficient logistics and lower emissions during transfers

 

As a key source of emissions is global team mobility, Formula 1 is implementing across-the-board improvements in the planning and execution of transfers:

– Calendar editing means a more logical geographical arrangement of events, thus avoiding extreme travel distances (e.g. in 2024; the Middle East opens and closes the season, races on the American continents run consecutively).

– Air transport F1 is increasingly using sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), with Mercedes reducing aviation emissions by another 18,500 tonnes in the 2024–2025 seasons alone.

– Trucks are increasingly being deployed across Europe biofuels and optimized storagee (regional logistics hubs) allow for the reduction of unnecessary equipment movements across continents.

– Digitization (for example, remote control of television transmissions or remote data centers) reduces the number of physically present employees, the volume of transported equipment, and thus the carbon footprint.

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Sustainable energy, materials and waste management

 

F1 events emphasize the use of renewable resources and environmentally friendly materials:

– Both F1's central infrastructure and leading team factories are powered by 100% renewable energy, with the aim of achieving this across all teams by 2025.

– Circuits are introducing solar panels, switching to green energy sources, and replacing old diesel generators with HVO (hydrogenated vegetable oil) generators.

– Single-use plastics are massively reduced in the paddocks and guest zones, filling stations with reusable bottles are common, packaging is recycled, a backup system for cups is in place, waste is separated and recovered as much as possible.

– Old tires do not go to landfill, but after the race they go to cement plants for energy recovery. Teams are also increasingly recycling demanding components, especially carbon fibers, which find new uses.

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Offsetting, innovation and the teams' climate vision

 

Even with the best efforts, it will not be possible to eliminate all emissions, which is why F1 invests in quality offset solutions: supporting rainforest protection projects, renewable energy sources and other internationally recognized initiatives. The emphasis is on transparency and measurability of results.

Several teams are going beyond F1's own commitments. Mercedes, for example, is working towards a science-based plan to completely eliminate direct emissions by 2026 and dramatically reduce them in the supply chain by 2030. Williams even declares a climate-positive goal. However, it is crucial that offsets do not replace real emissions reductions in practice.

F1 is also expanding into innovations: it is testing the use of hydrogen generators, lighter logistics solutions, and plans to use 3D printing of components directly at the event site.

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Challenges and limits on the path to carbon neutrality

 

Despite its pioneering efforts, F1 faces several challenges:

– The addition of new major awards means more travel and higher emissions, with expansion being a commercial and sporting attraction.

– Ideal calendar planning is limited by weather, promoters' and broadcasters' interests.

– The availability of 100% clean fuels and SAF is still low and economically challenging; however, F1 is helping to accelerate market development through its demand.

– Trust in the offset projects used is essential, but they have been abused in the past in several industries.

– Effectiveness also depends on the joint setting of all actors – teams, promoters, sponsors and fans, who can significantly contribute to success through their behavior (choice of transport, adoption of eco-measures at the event).

It should be noted that single-seaters and their propulsion are actually responsible for less than 1 % of emissions - the bulk of the climate problem is invisible to the eyes of spectators and lies in the background (logistics, energy, public infrastructure).

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F1 vs. other sports: Perspective and inspiration

 

Formula 1 is one of the climate pioneers among sports organizations: since 2019 it has committed to carbon neutrality by 2030 (a more ambitious goal than the IOC or FIFA). The Olympic Games have already been testing carbon positivity since Tusio 2030, but sports infrastructure is often still in the process of ecological optimization.

Among the motor racing series, a natural comparison is Formula E – a purely electric series with an annual footprint much smaller (35–40 thousand tons of CO₂e) and calendar optimization. New series like Extreme E or SailGP profile their eco-credits by meaningful use of ship logistics or alternative propulsion.

F1's arrival in the UN's Sports for Climate Action movement brings its net zero target for 2030 to the forefront of global sports efforts. If it can deliver on its promise and maintain its standards and viewer appeal, it will become an inspiration for the entire sporting world.

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F1: A traditional sport on the way to new times

 

Formula 1 enters the second half of the decade with a clear goal – a greener, yet still exciting future. F1’s annual carbon footprint in the 2024-2025 seasons currently exceeds 200,000 tonnes of CO₂e, but thanks to dozens of measures, the curve is declining in the long term. From the introduction of progressive fuels, logistics optimization, preference for renewable energy to thorough offsets, F1 has become synonymous with the intense search for ecological balance in top-level sport. “It is no longer enough to show great races – we must ensure that our sport operates sustainably, otherwise it has no future,” says F1 boss Stefano Domenicali. Formula 1 has thus symbolically shifted to a higher gear in the race for sustainability and maintains its ambition to reach the finish line as one of the first global sports. JRi

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Sources: F1 Sustainability Reports; ESG Dive (April 2024); CarbonCredits.com; GreenAir News; ecollectivecarbon.com; Tomorrow's Wheels; Inside.FIA/FIFA/IOC releases; CarbonCredits.com (Formula E)*