The Race to Ace - Sustainability at F1 // Part 1

Imagine yourself going to 21 countries in a year, wearing a shiny scarlet fire-proof racing suit and driving a car for 3 days of the week, working with some of the most revolutionary, cutting-edge technologies and smartest people and getting paid millions of pounds for doing all of this; sounds pretty easy-peasy isn’t it??

Let's look into some finer aspects to answer this. Well you will be going at blistering speeds of over 350 kmph and experiencing bone-crushing G-forces of up to 6 times the force of gravity (something which only the astronauts and fighter jet pilots experience), changing gears and car controls ~ 50 times per lap, racing with other drivers on track,? coordinating the details of car conditions and taking strategy inputs from their team on radio while also keeping an eye on weather conditions. Now you have a sense of what we are talking about, Formula One Racing, the pinnacle of modern-day motorsport. It is not only an engineering marvel but an incredible testament to the physical and intellectual capabilities of humans and the synergy that exists between man and machines.

In this article, we, Neeti Mahajan and Vedanta Alkari , explore the fascinating world of Formula One for all our readers in a bid to delve deeper to understand this sport and how Sustainability is paving the way steadily to make a positive impact on the environment as well as provide a deeper sense of admiration to millions of fans worldwide.

Let's start with the basics of Formula 1, it is the highest class of international racing for open wheel single seater formula cars sanctioned by Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The FIA is an international organisation with two primary functions surrounding use of the automobile. Its mobility division advocates the interests of motoring organisations, the automotive industry and motor car users in the fields of road safety and traffic circulation. The sport division is a governing body for many international motorsport championships and disciplines, including Formula One. The Formula One Group is owned by Liberty Media, which acquired it in 2017 from private-equity firm CVC Capital Partners for ￡6.4 billion ($8 billion).

A Formula One season consists of a series of races called Grand Prix. These Grand Prix take place in multiple countries in 5 Continents throughout the year. A points system is used to determine the winner in each of the races. Eventually there are two annual World Championships which everyone is competing for: Drivers Championship and the Constructors Championship (for all the teams in F1). Each team fields two drivers per race.

Currently F1 has 10 teams and 20 Drivers competing for the Championships in the busiest ever 24 race season. These races will be held in 21 countries with some of the prominent ones being: United States of America, United Kingdom, Australia, Netherlands, Italy, Brazil etc. This includes the classic F1 tracks like Silverstone (UK), Spa-Francorchamps (Belgium), Suzuka (Japan), Monza (Italy) and the recent additions to the roster like Las Vegas, Miami and Qatar, a eclectic mix of slow, medium and high speed tracks which offers the teams and the spectators plenty to look forward to.

A typical Formula one weekend has multiple events taking place over a three day period: Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Friday usually consists of 2 Free Practice Sessions of one hour each where the teams are allowed to test different configurations of the car, execute different aerodynamic, engine and chassis setups to maximise the performance whilst not compromising fuel consumption and driver safety. Saturday is marked by another 60 minute Free Practice session post which the drivers head into a 3 stage Qualifying session. The Qualifying 1 sees the bottom 5 slowest drivers eliminated followed by the Qualifying 2 which sees the next 5 slowest drivers being eliminated. This paves the way for Qualifying 3 in which 10 drivers fight for the top 10 starting positions of the starting grid. In each of the sessions the driver has to register just one fastest lap around the circuit and depending on the session (Q1, Q2, Q3) the driver can get one to four runs around the track. The fastest driver in Q3 gets the coveted Pole Position award and starts the race on Sunday in the best starting position. Sunday brings the race itself, where drivers battle it out to score points, grab a spot on the podium and take the chequered flag first for the win.

In 2023, Formula 1 achieved its second-highest United States television viewership in history, with an average of 1.11 million viewers per race throughout the 22 races across the world, this was a milestone for a rather European-favourite sport, but also a young game. Officially only recognized 77 years ago, Formula 1 has its roots in the European Grand Prix championships from the 1920s and 1930s, eventually evolving into today’s Formula 1 championships.?

F1 indeed is the Wimbledon of single-seater auto racing, but with its high speeds, constantly evolving technology, immense global following and the involvement of names like Mercedes, Ferrari and Aston Martin - we cannot ignore the sheer quantum of money the F1 involves and its impact on sustainability as a whole.

We believe in People, Planet and Profit - the Triple Bottom Line - through every turn on the road and no matter how thrilling F1 is, it is high-risk in multiple ways. For the racing drivers, it is dangerous despite their expertise and finesse, with ever evolving technology and innovation, and the level of protection needed, it is heavy on the pocket as well and of course, a sport with fuel-intensive racing cars and immense speeds - all over the world - with millions and millions of people coming to watch the races and online streams, imagine the kind of environmental impact Formula 1 has the capacity to create - but also, how can they thrive and mitigate?

Sustainability is best driven by the people involved, but a lot of times, a stringent outline requires robust Governance. For Formula,? the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) has been the main authority since 1904. With the aim of establishing consistent governance and safety standards in the realm of motor sport, FIA has brought together 242 member organisations from 147 across 5 continents. The FIA operates with a few focus areas within the mobility domain, ensuring safe, sustainable, affordable and accessible mobility for all global road users and is actively engaged in global advocacy initiatives. It also guarantees that events held worldwide adhere to equitable, well-regulated, and, above all, safe standards.?

Formula 1's global emissions before COVID-19, were estimated to be around 256,000 tonnes of CO? equivalent per year.

The majority of these emissions, about 45%, came from logistics, such as transporting cars, equipment, and personnel to races worldwide, apart from team operations, around 27% and business travel, 28%. But to champion this, the FIA has also taken its own ambitious target to be Net Zero by 2030 and the Federation has been working through smaller changes to larger commitments. There are several other avenues where Sustainability is going to play a pivotal role in F1’s future.

Supply Chain and Business travel being the foremost, Sustainable Fuels to ensure minimal emissions from the races, Sustainable trackside experience for audience and teams with circuits being powered by Renewable Energy and eliminating usage of Single-use plastics, Usage of recycled and non-virgin materials in the Car engineering to reduce material footprint being some of them.

Stay tuned with this series as we deep dive into the nuances of Sustainability in F1 operations and how it promises to give an even more thrilling, resilient and eco-friendly ride to audiences worldwide.