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Formula 1, one of the most prestigious and popular motor sports in the world, is also one of the most demanding on the environment. In addition to adrenaline and technological innovation, high-speed racing also produces significant amounts of carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions, which contribute to global warming. Teams, car companies, as well as the events themselves are very expensive, but also in terms of their environmental impact. In the article, we will look at the carbon footprint of Formula 1, a specific calculation of the emissions of one team per race.
What is carbon footprint and how do we measure it in the context of Formula 1?
Carbon footprint refers to the total amount of CO₂ emissions (and other greenhouse gases) generated by certain activities or events. In the case of Formula 1, the carbon footprint consists of several main areas:
- transportation – includes transfers of race teams, equipment, logistics to race venues. This part makes up a significant part of the total carbon footprint.
- Race operation – includes the energy needed during the race, including the F1 cars themselves, their engines and technical equipment.
- Production and development – emission costs for the development, production and testing of cars and technologies. Team factories are needed to use and use resources to produce carbon fiber parts and other special materials.
- Accommodation and support – consumption of energy and resources to provide accommodation, meals and other logistics for team personnel during the race.
These individual parts make up the total carbon footprint of one Formula 1 team for one race. If we calculate the emission footprint of individual factors, we can get a picture of the environmental impact of this sport.
Calculation of the carbon footprint of one team per race
In 2019, Formula 1 published its carbon footprint for the season, which reached approx 256,000 tons of CO₂ . The largest share of it (up to 45 %) was made up transport , while the race itself had only about 0.7 % of the total emissions impact, which corresponds to the highest fuel consumption monitoring and the restrictions it meets.
To illustrate, if we imagine that the average F1 team consists of approx 80 members and the amount of specialized equipment, we can consider the following to calculate the carbon footprint for one race:
1. Transport (approx. 45 % from the total footprint)
Transport of the team, vehicles and equipment is complete. One team can transport up to one event 50 tons of equipment aircraft, trucks and shipping. For example, intercontinental air transport produces approx 500 tons of CO₂ for the entire longer distance (e.g. from Europe to Asia or America).
- Average estimate for transport of one team per race: 500 tons of CO₂.
2. Team operation during the race (approx. 7 %)
The operation of racing cars and related technical equipment includes emissions from fuels and electricity. The average fuel consumption for one car per race is approx 100 kg , which translates into a production of approx 300 kg of CO₂ per car (each car emits around 2.31 kg of CO₂ per liter of fuel). They will therefore produce two cars for one team 600 kg of CO₂ .
- Car operation for one event (2 cars): 0.6 tons of CO₂.
3. Production and development (approx. 38 %)
The production and development of car components (especially carbon fiber) are energy intensive. For a season, one can produce up to 10,000 tons of CO₂ only for the production of parts and the preparation of cars. Since the season has approximately 23 races, we can calculate the average carbon footprint per race:
- Production and development for one race: 435 tons of CO₂.
4. Accommodation and support (approx. 10 %)
Team personnel travel and lodge around the world, using hotels, conference facilities and accommodation facilities. For one event, one team can produce for its entire crew 40 tons of CO₂ .
- Accommodation and support for one race: 40 tons of CO₂.
Total carbon footprint calculation for one team per race
In summary, after adding up all the factors, we can estimate that the carbon footprint of one F1 team per race looks like this:
| Area | Emissions (tons of CO₂) |
|---|---|
| transportation | 500 |
| Traffic (cars) | 0,6 |
| Production and development | 435 |
| Accommodation and support | 40 |
| In total | 975,6 |
In this way, the average carbon footprint per race for one team is approximately 975.6 tons of CO₂ .
How does Formula 1 try to maintain its environmental impact?
Formula 1 is aware of its environmental burden and has set interesting targets to reduce its carbon footprint. The goal of F1 is to achieve carbon neutrality by 2030. The main initiative includes:
- Reducing consumption and hybrid engines – New hybrid drive units fuel emissions up to 0 % compared to the classic engine. From 2026, the introduction of other ecological technologies is expected, including the transition to 100 % sustainable fuel .
- Reduction of emissions from transport – Formula 1 and thus work on optimizing logistics and the use of alternative means of transport, such as trains or ships, and also on the use of fuels with a lower carbon content. When transporting between individual events, possibilities are also being sought to minimize the number of flights.
- Carbon neutrality and ecological projects – Teams invest in carbon offset projects such as reforestation and carbon sequestration projects. Companies are also trying to be innovative, such as investing in technologies for capturing carbon directly from the air.
- Recycling and material efficiency – Formula 1 and the individual teams try to minimize the amount of waste by recycling parts and reusing materials. They are also introducing new manufacturing processes that make it possible to use less carbon fiber and other demanding materials.
- Electrification and clean energy sources – Formula 1 is exploring the possibility of electrifying some parts of its process, although the complete electrification of vehicles in F1 is not yet possible in terms of performance. Supporting the transition of factories to renewable energy sources is another goal that contributes to reducing overall emissions.
Conclusion
Formula 1, as a high-performance sport, has a significant impact on the environment, but at the same time it acts as a technological laboratory for advanced technologies in motoring. Although its carbon footprint is still high, the organization is taking measures to reduce it with the goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2030. However, it remains to implement these goals and to overcome the environmental obstacles that modern motorsport brings. (Co2AI)
