Formula 1 is racing to become carbon neutral, but is it enough?

The FIA has approved the use of biofuels for Formula 1 during the 2021 season.

F1 has developed a new biofuel in hopes to become a carbon neutral sport by the end of this year and to aid towards their goal of becoming carbon net-zero by 2030.

However, there are concerns that this is the wrong focus for the motorsporting giant.

As part of the F1’s sustainability strategy, they measured that only 0.7% of F1’s total emissions are from the actual cars themselves.

Racefans interviewed George Russell, professional racing driver current contracted to Williams, and he said: ‘We use [around] 100 kilos in the race so that’s 2,000 kilos across all the teams. Worst case, about 20,000 litres of fuel.’

He continued with: ‘For a plane they consume 200,000 litres a flight for a long flight like this, maybe. So in the scheme of things, it’s nothing.’

We asked some Formula 1 fans for their thoughts:

Dan's opinion: Why do you feel as though F1 are putting in these efforts to create biofuel? I think the organisers of F1 are aware that the ‘dirty’ engines of the past are no longer as attractive as they used to be to spectators. If F1 were able to create fast, exciting racing that utilised these cleaner biofuels, it would help to future-proof the sport, allowing the sport to continue without people questioning its future based on its morals/ethics. One argument to the improvement of F1 engine efficiency (including the use of biofuels) is that it can act as a source for trickle down technology, it could result in the increased efficiency of conventional cars, and this may far outweigh the emissions produced by the travelling circus that is the F1 season. The 2020 season showed that the season’s calendar could be condensed, to allow geographically closer races to happen over adjacent weekends, if this helps to decrease overall emissions, it is definitely something to be considered. F1 have made big steps in the last ten years to improve the overall emissions of the sport, the most obvious of which being when the cars transitioned into the hybrid era in 2014. It is also big positive that the spotlight of the sports total emissions is now onto how the teams travel around the world, this in itself has definitely helped reduce total emissions. Dan Capel-Smith, 20, Nuclear Chemist, Followed F1 since the 2007 season

Leo's opinion: I did hear that they have made a sustainable biofuel that is in testing at the moment, which is obviously good news, that’s a step up from fossil fuels. However, while sustainable fuel sources are important, I feel like emissions are a bigger problem from combustion engines and biofuel doesn’t really change that. The real fuel use and emissions source is not the F1 cars themselves, but all of the logistics and international transport involved in flying 10teams all over the world every weekend. In fact, a quick google took me toa corporate presentation from F1 that showed that F1 engine emissions are 0.7% of F1’s total emissions. Logistics/business travel make up over 70%. With F1 engines being such a small part of the puzzle, both on consumption and emissions, surely this biofuel is more of a PR move than a sustainability move. Basically, I can’t see F1 becoming a truly sustainable sport until there’s a much larger shift in engine/transport technology and it’s hard to believe that future lies in biofuel rather than something without emissions like electric or hydrogen power. They have mentioned ultra efficient/low carbon transport for their logistics but either that means hydrogen/electric power (which won’t be a reality for international flights anytime soon) or they’re are simple going to offset the carbon emissions by doing something else that’s carbon negative. Like paying a company to plant trees or something. Which seems like just as much of a PR piece and to be honest its why I am not excited by any company claiming they’re carbon neutral. Leo Morton, 27, web developer

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