Formula 1 gets its first taste of 100 per cent sustainable fuel

As a part of the FIA’s ongoing environmental strategy to be carbon neutral in 2021 and achieve net zero status by 2030, it has delivered the first barrels of 100 per cent sustainable fuel to Mercedes, Ferrari, Renault and Honda, current Formula 1 engine manufacturers, for further testing. Sustainable fuel is a clean substitute for fossil fuels and is a second-generation biofuel variety which means that it is refined from sustainable resources like waste oils from a biological origin, agricultural residues and non-fossil CO2.

FIA’s technical department claims to have developed this sustainable fuel to the stringent F1 specifications. However, it isn’t going to be approved for use in a race season before thorough testing and validation from Mercedes, Ferrari, Renault and Honda. Apart from the push to reduce emissions as much as possible, another objective of the FIA is to show engine manufacturers that this technology works and that they can develop their own sustainable fuel. By 2026, when the hybrid engine specifications are revised and updated by the FIA, the board wants to mandate the use of 100 per cent sustainable fuel. From 2021, other FIA championships, such as the European Truck Racing Championship, will also be able to use sustainable fuel.

Speaking on the development, FIA President Jean Todt said, “By developing fuel made from bio waste that can power Formula 1, we are taking a new step forward. With the support of the world’s leading energy companies, we can combine the best technological and environmental performance.”

Felipe Calderon, Chairman, FIA Environment and Sustainability Commission added, “FIA will also take a leadership role, among other sports federations, in pushing for global climate action. This new strategy provides a whole framework to support its members in becoming more sustainable and build climate leadership themselves.”

Formula 1 has always been the pinnacle of motorsports. More importantly, it has been the frontrunner for technological advancements in the automotive industry, and with the introduction of 100 per cent sustainable fuel in F1, the FIA believes that huge environmental benefits can be made by the sport becoming a fuel technology battleground.