F1 Shifts Gears Toward A Greener Future in 2026
- Zaref Ayman
- Sep 3
- 5 min read
Updated: 3 days ago
With the exhilarating races that capture race fans’ attention each season, it can be easy to overlook the heavy environmental impact required to run Formula One. The sport, with its global reach and logistics-intensive operations, leaves a significant carbon footprint every year.
According to a 2019 study, Formula One’s annual carbon footprint was around 256,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions, with logistics alone responsible for 45% of emissions. Encouragingly, the sport has cut its emissions by 26% compared to 2018, bringing the total down to 168,720 tonnes at the end of the 2024 season. While this marks important progress, F1’s heavy reliance on freight and international travel remains a major challenge.
With global warming intensifying, it is imperative that a major sporting organisation like Formula One shoulders its responsibility to the planet. Thankfully, that sense of duty is firmly steering the sport’s future direction. From the start of the 2026 season, Formula One will roll out major changes designed to help achieve its ambitious goal of becoming Net-Zero Carbon by 2030.
While McLaren might be currently dominating the driver’s and constructor’s championships this season, it seems the real race is on the sustainability track. Let’s look at how F1 is charging up to accelerate its journey toward environmental stewardship.
⛽ 100% Sustainable Fuels
At the heart of F1’s green revolution is the development and deployment of a 100% sustainable, carbon-neutral fuel set to power all cars starting the 2026 season. Unlike traditional fossil fuels, this revolutionary "drop-in" fuel can be used in existing engines without modification but comes with a much smaller environmental footprint.
Previously, F1 cars ran on race-specific unleaded petrol, derived primarily from fossil crude oil, which is a significant contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. This conventional fuel allowed blistering speeds but at the cost of emitting considerable CO2 directly into the atmosphere, compounding the sport’s carbon footprint.
The new sustainable fuel is derived from a blend of non-food biomass, genuine waste materials, and potentially even carbon captured directly from the air, a process known as direct air capture. This innovative process ensures the carbon emitted during combustion is roughly equal to the carbon absorbed or offset during fuel creation. Put simply, it’s a closed carbon loop, a game-changer in decarbonising motorsport and possibly the wider automotive industry.
Ahead of the 2026 implementation, similar sustainable fuels are already being used in feeder series such as Formula 2 and Formula 3, providing valuable data for the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) to optimise fuel performance and sustainability parameters before full F1 rollout.
Stefano Domenicali, President and CEO of Formula One highlighted the significance of the initiative, stating:
"We are strongly committed to achieving Net Zero by 2030. It is a concrete goal, already visible in the significant reduction of our sport's carbon footprint. While continuing to grow globally, we have shown that sustainable development is possible and that the strategies we have adopted are yielding tangible results.”
-- Stefano Domenicali, President and CEO of Formula One
However, such a transition is not without challenges. Mercedes-AMG F1 Team Principal, Toto Wolff, acknowledged that the new sustainable fuels are more expensive than initially anticipated, saying:
"What makes it so expensive is that the whole supply chain and energy contribution needs to be green. To achieve all of that, you need a certain specification of ingredients that is very expensive. And it’s coming in much more expensive than anyone thought. So we need to look at whether there's anything we can tweak to bring the per-litre price down."
-- Toto Wolff, Mercedes-AMG F1 Team Principal
This tension between innovation and cost management will be closely watched as the 2026 season unfolds next year.
🚚 More Sustainable Logistics Operations
While the shift to sustainable fuel marks a significant advance, it must be paired with reductions in logistics-related emissions, which represent the lion’s share of Formula 1’s carbon output. According to F1’s 2019 sustainability data, logistics, including the transport of equipment, cars, spare parts, and tyres via trucks, ships, and planes accounts for approximately 45–50% of total emissions, whereas the races themselves contribute just 0.7%. To address this, F1 has redesigned its freight containers to optimise loading efficiency, enabling the use of more fuel-efficient aircraft and significantly decreasing air cargo emissions.
Ellen Jones, Head of Environmental, Social and Governance at Formula One, in an interview said:
“We’ve changed the way we operate, changed the way we work” with the racing teams and promoters, as well Formula One’s management and regulator, she said. "
-- Ellen Jones, Head of Environmental, Social and Governance at Formula One
In Europe, Formula One has partnered with DHL to power its freight operations exclusively with biofuel-powered trucks, mitigating emissions on the continent significantly.
The introduction of smaller, lighter 2026 F1 cars also holds potential to reduce logistics emissions. The wheelbase (length) has been slashed by 200mm, from 3600mm to 3400mm, while the overall width has been cut by 100mm to 1900mm. The floor width, crucial for ground effect aerodynamics, has been narrowed by 150mm. Alongside these dimensional reductions, the cars will be about 30kg lighter than current models. Consequently, these more compact and lighter cars require less space and weight allocation during transport.
This means freight containers, trucks, and aircraft can carry equipment more efficiently, reducing the volume and weight of shipments needed for race events. While this impact alone won't solve logistics emissions, it complements ongoing efforts to streamline and green F1’s global freight operations.
🏢Transition to 100% Renewable Energy in Formula 1 Facilities
Beyond the racetrack and logistics, F1’s offices and facilities have also undergone green transformations. All UK-based Formula One offices now operate on 100% renewable electricity secured through Power Purchase Agreements, setting a benchmark for sustainable corporate operations.
Cars and teams are supported by factories and media centres powered fully or partially by renewables. The Media & Technology Centre has been upgraded to utilise a blend of 50% biomethane and 50% carbon-offset natural gas, with long-term plans to eliminate fossil gas reliance.
Solar panels have been installed at some of the world’s most famous circuits, including the French Grand Prix venue in Le Castellet, the Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal, and the Circuit de Catalunya in Spain, which generate sufficient energy year-round to offset the entire carbon footprint of those Grand Prix weekends.
Continuous research is underway into further reducing on-site greenhouse gas (GHG) and particulate emissions, with a particular focus on biofuels and low-emission technologies for on-site power generators.
Heating, Ventilating and Air Conditioning (HVAC) systems across facilities are being revamped with net-zero carbon technologies, demonstrating Formula One’s attention to energy usage far beyond the racetrack.
As the 2026 F1 season will kick off under these ambitious green initiatives, there will inevitably be some teething problems. Adjustments, innovations, and improvements will evolve based on initial experiences and feedback. A lingering question remains: how will the new sustainable fuel and green changes affect the competitive spectacle? Fans and insiders alike are curious to see if green equals clean and whether it can also mean thrilling racing.
Here’s hoping that F1’s strategy to go green proves more successful than Ferrari’s endless strategic blunders on the pit wall!
Nonetheless, these initiatives represent a bold and much-needed step forward. Formula 1 is not just accelerating cars around circuits; it’s speeding toward a future where sport and sustainability race in close harmony. The wider sporting world is sure to be watching and hopefully following suit.
