Formula 1 Is On Track to Use 100% Sustainable Fuel by 2026

The automotive industry has shifted its focus significantly onto hybrid and fully electric powertrains in recent years, and in the hopes of achieving this greater sustainability while honoring its traditional racing pedigree, Formula 1 had also announced plans to shift to a fully sustainable fuel by 2026. Now, the racing organization has confirmed that it’s on track to achieve that goal.

Writing in a blog post over on the motorsports championship’s official website, F1’s Lawrence Barretto explained that the “E10” fuel used by the current 2022 cars signifies a 10% ratio of ethanol in the fuel that’s completely renewable and will lay down the groundwork for a fuel that consists entirely of sustainable energy sources in the next four years. “The 10% of ethanol that we’re putting in now is entirely sustainable,” says the racing event’s chief technical officer Pat Symonds. “There are lots of different types of ethanol, which vary in quality, but this is a true green ethanol – so fully sustainable.”

Formula 1 managing director Ross Brawn also elaborated on how the development of new fuels will help the racing tour achieve its goal of a net-zero carbon footprint by 2030. “E fuels offer such a wonderful opportunity,” he began. “We’re working on an E fuel where the carbon circle is completely neutral so the carbon utilized to produce that fuel is the same quantity as the carbon emitted from the internal combustion engine. It means that the engines do not add anything to the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

Ultimately, Formula 1 hopes the fuel technology can trickle down into the consumer market so people who aren’t able to access electric cars viably will still have a fully sustainable option.

In other related news, here’s our Essentials installment with McLaren driver Daniel Ricciardo.