Formula One is built on innovation.
Over its 70-plus-year history, the pinnacle of motorsport has come up with technological ideas that not only benefited the sport but also the surrounding communities, such as ‘Project Pitlane’ during the COVID-19 pandemic when several teams helped with ventilator production. Now, as F1 pushes to become net zero carbon by 2030, it is creating 100 percent sustainable fuels, a development that could become its next legacy.
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F1 currently uses E10 fuel, which contains 10 percent renewable ethanol, while Formula Two and Formula Three used a 55 percent “drop-in” sustainable fuel during the 2023 season. But come 2026, F1 will use 100 percent sustainable fuel with its new era of power units.
Becoming more sustainable is a necessity for the sport’s future, particularly for a series that travels the world in the name of sport and entertainment. The cars may account for just 0.7 percent of F1’s estimated 2019 carbon footprint, but the push for “drop-in” sustainable fuels allows their impact to reach far beyond the track. Here’s how F1 is making changes to what powers the global series.
What are the regulation changes coming in 2026?
The 2026 engine regulations include more than the introduction of 100 percent sustainable fuels (meaning no new fossil fuel carbon will be released through their production).
- Boost in electrical power: Cars should run with a more robust electrical element and harvest more braking energy, with the MGU-K producing nearly three times the electrical power. The current power unit produces 120 kilowatts of energy with the MGU-K and MGU-H (two components of the energy recovery system); the new ones will reach up to 350 kilowatts.
- Lower fuel loads: Fuel loads have gradually decreased in recent years – from 160 kilograms (about 353 pounds) in 2013 to 100 kilograms (220 pounds) in 2020. That should drop to 70 kilograms (154 pounds) in 2026.
- Decreased costs: Not only will teams face an engine-specific cost cap, but some systems were removed, like the MGU-H, because they lack road relevance. These engine regulations are essentially the sport moving in tandem with the road car industry.
What are sustainable fuels?
F1 framed the regulations in a manner that gives manufacturers flexibility in the methods used to create these 100 percent sustainable fuels.
Carbon is one of the components needed to make fuel; however, this new fuel must be carbon neutral, meaning these fuels won’t add to the planet’s overall carbon levels. Manufacturers need to use carbon that’s already available rather than putting more into the atmosphere. Carbon is extracted from a variety of sources, such as non-food biomass which can be turned into a gas, direct air capture or taking green hydrogen from the electrolysis of water. Then comes the complicated and intricate lab work that far exceeds our basic-level chemistry classes. Through different chemical reactions, synthetic fuel is made from these sources.
This is the overly simplified look at how sustainable fuels are made, and the fuel composition boils down how to best use the hydrogen and carbon atoms. But sustainable fuels’ impact extends beyond the race cars. Sebastian Hirsz, bp’s Lead Advisor, Mobility Policy, said, “The 2026 rule changes are prompting a lot of really good kind of research and development into (different sustainable fuels), considering what we could deploy in road gasoline.”
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One major difference between developing road fuels and race fuel is that F1 is not allowing manufacturers to use co-processing, which is when renewable feedstocks and crude oil are processed simultaneously. This is a critical component for achieving scale while building new plants, Hirsz said, because it’s using existing refineries to produce the low-carbon fuels.
“They’re not going to be online till the late 2020s and into the 30s. These are here now and we can use them to create the low carbon fuels of tomorrow.”
The different fuel types
The development of sustainable fuels stretches far beyond cars — and various efforts could help the sport cut emissions from its hefty logistics footprint. The type of fuel varies based on a multitude of factors, and different pathways face different energy and cost levels… But it is a critical component in F1’s strategy because 45 percent of its 2019 carbon footprint is road, sea and air logistics.
- Gasoline: The biocomponents include options like oxygen, methanol and isobutanol, which can all be derived from bio-feedstock. But ethanol is the most common, like how we see E10 with our road car fuel. Hirsz said, “Bioethanol is the most economical biofuel that you can blend into gasoline.” Hydrocarbon is another option, Hirsz said, but not in the fossil fuels sense. Hydrogen and carbon can be bio derived. “You will see over time a greater proportion of those being incorporated into fuel. Why don’t we already? Well, the reality is, they’re a bit harder to make. Ethanol you can make from fermentation. Happy days, pretty easy,” Hirsz said. “These ones require further processing, but they can then be your drop-in fuels.”
- Diesel: This fuel will have a level of biodiesel in it, which is also called Fatty Acid Methyl Ester (FAME). FAME is different from renewable diesel, which is interchangeable with Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO). Hirsz said about HVOs, “You’ll see in the U.S. soy oil is used, and then there’s also the used cooking oil and some animal fats and all these kinds of feedstocks. Great way of using these wastes and residues to make fuel.”
- Sustainable marine fuels: According to the U.S. Department of Energy, “international maritime transport accounts for approximately 3% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.” Research is being conducted into a range of different options to create low- and net-zero carbon fuels. Hirsz said, “You might see ammonia get used, you’ll see some biofuels get used, you’ll see some potentially just hydrogen neat, not bound to any carbon, and indeed bio methane.” It boils down to the cheapest option available.
- Sustainable aviation fuels: SAF is exactly what it sounds like — sustainable fuel for aircraft that is renewable and waste-derived. Manufacturers are still researching different ways to make SAF, such as through municipal solid waste (meaning what you find in the landfill/can’t recycle), green hydrogen and ethanol. Hirsz said, “As we see gasoline demand drop in some markets through electrification, you can take some of that ethanol and use it to make jet fuel.” SAF may ring a faint bell for F1 fans because in July 2022, Mercedes was the first global sports team to invest in it. The F1 team estimated that using SAF would reduce its personnel’s “air carbon footprint by up to 50%.”
Sustainable fuels’ bigger impact
Drop-in fuels are meant to be compatible with existing distribution networks and equipment, meaning consumers won’t need to pay for pricey modifications or a brand new car to enjoy a carbon-light ride.
“Drop-in is an oft misused and misunderstood term,” Hirsz said.
The fuel used in F1 is derived from the fuel used in road cars but tailored more towards that engine whereas in the real world, fuel needs to meet the needs of various car and engine manufacturers. Changes are made to the key characteristics; therefore, creating a ‘drop-in’ fuel means it can be blended without changing the field specification, Hirsz said.
F1 may be a motorsport series, but it does provide a testing ground for normal businesses.
Petronas, Shell, ExxonMobil, Gulf and Castrol (bp) are F1’s five current fuel manufacturers, and they all operate in different markets. Each community is pushing for different sustainability measures, which only deepens each company’s research and development. Hirsz said that “to some extent,” this has helped companies like bp not only determine the most competitive fuel makeup for F1 but also help other communities have greener and more sustainable fuels.
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“It’s a case of, as different countries are looking to decarbonize, what technologies are they potentially advantaged in?” Hirsz said. “Yes, there’s a commercial driver to it, but we are trying to see what chemistry is there and how can we make that fuel of the future?”
(Lead photo of Esteban Ocon in Abu Dhabi post-season testing: Dan Istitene – Formula 1/Formula 1 via Getty Images)
Madeline Coleman is a Staff Writer for The Athletic covering Formula One. Prior to joining The Athletic, she served as a writer and editor on Sports Illustrated’s breaking and trending news team. She is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Follow Madeline on Twitter @mwc13_3
