By Stan Ashcroft
How F1 is going ‘green’?
This season, Formula One will see some changes to the sport. New teams, new regulations, and new circuits, but what about the changes we can’t see? In a bid to go more green, F1 have redeveloped the car power units and announced that they’ve reduced their carbon emissions by 26% since 2018, according to their 2025 sustainability update.
F1 has been criticised by climate activists for decades, with petrol based cars, excess waste, and not least to mention, the giant carbon footprint left by trains, planes and automobiles, travelling over 100,000km, between 24 races each year. So how is F1 ‘going green’?
What are F1’s targets?
Back in 2019, Formula One first published a ‘sustainability strategy’ where they outlined their long-term plans to reduce their carbon footprint, and aims of becoming 100% net-zero from factory to flag by 2030, alongside additional sustainability targets for 2025.
Net-zero means that F1 won’t irradiate all their carbon emissions, these targets aim to offset, and reduce their carbon footprint and environmental impact across race weekends with sustainable materials and recycled carbon.
What’s new for 2026?
Rescheduling the F1 calendar
This year, the Canadian Grand Prix will be held in May, while the Monaco Grand Prix will move to June. This change ensures the European leg of the season fits into a single period, removing an additional trip across the Atlantic which will reduce the large environmental damage accumulated by travel.
Power Units
Since 2014, F1 have ran hybrid power units (rather than engines) which are a combination of a 1.6L V6 engine, and electrical energy recovery systems (MGU-K). These are far more efficient than the old, traditional, pure combustion engines.
However, for the first time the 1.6L V6 turbo hybrid will have a 50/50 split of a 400kw combustion engine (previously 630kw) to a 350kw MGU-K electric motor (previously 120kw).
For the more technical heads out there, the MGU-H and variable trumpets have been removed for this season. This means that less electrical power will be fed back to the engine when breaking on corners, which may make the cars less drivable due to turbo-lag.
Although, the MGU-H will no longer harvest energy from the exhaust heat, the power unit is not expected to be any less efficient or environmentally friendly, due to the increase of MGU-K.
Fuel
With the introduction of increased electric power, the new power units will require 20-30% less fuel per race, and it will now be 100% sustainable.
The new sustainable fuel will be made from sources such as carbon capture (carbon stored from industrial emitters), municipal waste (everyday rubbish produced by households), and non-food biological sources (e.g. plants) so, no new fossil carbon will be burnt to power the cars.
Recycling
Recycling options will be authorised for batteries while, at the end of the MGU-K’s life, materials such as cobalt will be recycled.
This may have been a forced change as EU have set regulations covering material recovery targets. Over half of lithium-based battery weight must be recycled, and cobalt must be 90% recovered by 2027.
What else has been done so far?
F1 introduced a centralised power generation compound in 2024
This reduced the associated carbon emissions from operations within the paddock, pit lane, and broadcast areas by more than 90%, compared to 2022. The low-carbon energy generation systems replaced diesel ones, and were used at all nine European events across 2025.
F1 have invested in Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF)
This is jet fuel that reduced greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from aviation over their lifecycle when compared to standard jet fuel (up to 80%). In 2024 F1 reduced total related flight emissions by more than 8,000 tCO₂e.
Former F1 world champion, Sebastian Vettel has been a high-profile campaigner for sustainability within motorsport.
Although, he admits that he was part of the problem, he’s also been instrumental in promoting the use of sustainable fuels.
Many F1 team factories and facilities have transitioned to renewable energy sources.
Just like on the track, some teams do a better job than others, when it comes to pushing towards environmental targets. Whilst Mercedes are considered to be the most advanced when it comes to sustainability, Red Bull Racing were the last team to achieve the FIA’s three-star environmental accreditation in 2023.
What are the greenhouse gas emission statistics?
The 2025 statement of sustainability is effectively F1’s way of showing the public the steps they’ve taken to reduce their environmental impact since 2018, and backing it up with statistics.
Within Formula One’s latest published financial statements, they are required to report on their estimated annual energy and carbon consumption of the company, Formula One Motorsport.
This is not to be confused with F1’s sustainability report which factors in the entire Formula 1 Group and sport operations, including teams, and suppliers.
Below, you can see how much emissions have reduced since 2018, with factories and facilities from the F1 teams displaying the biggest reduction (59%).
*Credit: Formula 1 sustainability update 2025
The total emissions across 2024 was 168,720 tCO₂e. For context, the average person in the UK produces the equivalent of 10 tonnes of CO2 per year.
The graphic below displays the breakdown of how each sector contributed to the emissions produced in 2024.
*Credit: Formula 1 sustainability update 2025
Travel and logistics have consistently been the largest contributors to greenhouse gases. This is why F1 has such a strong focus on SAF investment, moving forward.
Is F1 ‘green’?
Formula 1 is far from being considered ‘environmentally friendly’ as the travel and logistics are inherent with the global nature of the sport. However, it does continue to take the right steps in developing new technologies, and investing in sustainable fuel.
F1’s transparency and commitment to reducing their emissions is essential in keeping up with ethical standards, public perception, and government regulation. The biggest ‘green’ impact should come from their world-class development, and investment into sustainable technologies, which can be replicated throughout the automobile industry. Could more be done to accelerate the process? Possibly. With the target set at 2030, F1 seem to be on track for now.
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