Lucas Di Grassi has explained how he offsets his carbon emissions and this week in the Sustainable Motorsport Roundup you will get the details of how. I also have news on the latest Sustainable Circuits Index, the debate on synthetic fuel in Formula 1 and E1’s Blue Impact Championship.
Sustainable Motorsport News
Formula E’s Lucas Di Grassi talks to Sports Business Journal about partnering with Rubicon Carbon on carbon offsets and starting the Zero Summit.
“My assumption, being pragmatic, is technology is what’s going to save humankind. Humans are always going to use more energy, more resources. As people go out of the poverty, they want to eat more meat. They want to drive better cars. They want to have AC in their houses. They want to have three TVs instead of one. It’s a natural progress of humankind to use more goods and use more services. So the only way for us to have a sustainable planet, or let’s say, a stable environment, is that we should gain efficiencies. And the way to gain efficiency is basically to develop technologies.”
Read the full article at SBJ here. Di Grassi is set to race for Lola-Yamaha in Season 11 of Formula E.
The top performers of the newly published fourth edition of the Sustainable Circuits Index have been revealed as Italy’s Mugello Circuit, Spain’s Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya and the UK’s Silverstone Circuit.
“It is the second time Mugello has topped the index, after being usurped by Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya in 2022. Last year, the Tuscan circuit improved accessibility for individuals with disabilities by providing them with discounted or free tickets, as well as designated parking and seating areas. The track also retained its certifications and accreditations, while prioritising waste management and the increased use of renewable energy.”
Read an analysis at Global Sustainable Sport here and download the 2024 edition of the Sustainable Motorsport Index here.
How does the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Formula 1 Team operate at the forefront of technology, innovation & sustainability, while competing in Formula 1? Sustainability Magazine talked to Alice Ashpitel, Head of Sustainability for the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Formula One team to find out.
“Although we report annually on our sustainability progress, the commitment to optimise our operations and pursue sustainable high performance is always front of mind. Just like on track, we aim to improve our performance in every area, and our annual Sustainability Report serves as a reminder of everything that’s happening behind the scenes. Yes, we report on our results – our footprint; our demographics; our codes and policies but it’s much more than that – it’s about our people; their collective power and our impact on the world within and beyond motorsport.”
Read the full feature at Sustainability Magazine.
Sustainable Motorsport Tech
What will F1’s future look like beyond 2026? F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali has some ideas but he is more focused on the use of synthetic fuel in the championship for now.
“Plus, the fact that now we have sustainable fuel at the centre of this technical project will speed up the process of making sure that this new technology will be available for the mobility world quicker. It will develop a drop in fuel with a lower price that will be beneficial to the market around the world. That I’m pretty convinced.”
“As you know today, the price [of sustainable fuel] is much higher, but F1 has been always very good in speeding up the process and helping technology to go in the right direction. So that’s really what I’m expecting, and I’m sure that everyone will work in this direction. So the real thing is technological challenge in the future. Is it relevant that the change will be in such a short time cycle of five years? That will be the point of discussion for the future.”
Exclusive: Domenicali on what F1’s future looks like
Read Part 1 of the the interview with the F1 CEO at Autosport here.
Formula E’s Lucas Di Gassi has some thoughts about Formula 1’s embrace of synthetic fuel in a counter-argument. “The issue with Stefano’s statement is that the cost limitation of synthetic fuel is inherently tied to energy production and combustion efficiencies. These factors are not influenced by current Formula 1 advancements, meaning no significant improvements will arise beyond the marketing hype generated by such claims.”
Read his full opinion piece on LinkedIn, Formula 1 and synthetic fuels, here.
Grassroots Motorsports explains how Hyundai conquered Pikes Peak with its Ioniq 5 N. “One car doesn’t make a brand,” he notes. “We’re not saying we’re doing 100% EV. I do believe that our responsibility is to offer fun to drive with whatever technology we’re driving–let it be hydrogen, let it be hydrogen as a fuel, let it be fuel cell, let it be battery-electric, let it be a combination of both, which the N Vision 74 would be, and let’s see what that might be in the future.”
Read the full article here.
Race Engine Technology looks at the NASCAR Electric Powertrain. “We are further told that throughout the process, NASCAR and its OEMs – Chevrolet, Ford and Toyota – collaborated on the design and elements of the vehicle, which has a generic crossover utility vehicle body, and the Next Gen chassis as its foundation. It uses three Stard UHP six-phase motors (one front, two rear), supplying power directly to all four wheels. Supported by a 78 kWh, liquid-cooled battery and regenerative braking, this powertrain can produce peak power of 1,000 kW.”
The LiquidPiston is the combustion engine reimagined according to its developers. “Their engines can achieve up to 5x the power-to-weight ratio of legacy diesel engines and are multi-fuel capable. With giants (Toyota, BMW, Ford) shifting their focus toward battery- and hydrogen-powered vehicles as a clean energy alternative, the timing is great for LiquidPiston, whose engine is both HE- and hydrogen-compatible.”
Read more here. (Please note that I am not recommending or dissuading investors. The posting of this article is for informational purposes only. The posting of this article does not constitute investment advice.)
Series News
Mahindra is one of four current manufacturers that have so far not committed to the Formula E Gen4 rules which will debut at the end of 2026. Is their a danger that the series will lose one of its founding manufacturers asks The Race?
“There is a feeling that Formula E, with the necessary investment by Liberty now, will become much more than just a curio and niche strand of motorsport, which in reality it really still is. Liberty and Formula E CEO Jeff Dodds have been drilling that home to all sorts of manufacturer executives in recent months, and so far it has mostly paid off with the big three of Jaguar, Nissan and Porsche having committed to Gen4. Mahindra’s appears to be a more complex decision and one that has had – like its performance on the track in the first part of Gen3 – plenty of nerves jangling.”
Read more at The Race.
The pioneering UIM (Union Internationale Motonautique) E1 World Championship, the world’s first all-electric raceboat series, has unveiled the E1 Blue Impact Championship. The new sustainability-focused league table will challenge Championship teams to drive positive impact by mobilising society to reverse effects on ocean and aquatic ecosystems.
The E1 Blue Impact Championship forms part of its Blue Impact Programme, in which the racing Championship collaborates with host cities, partners, NGOs and scientists to address coastal habitat issues through knowledge transfer meetings, panels and workshops.
Read more at the E1 Website.
Andretti Altawkilat XE driver Catie Munnings dived into her experience and aspirations in Extreme E and Extreme H ambassadorship in an interview with Motorsport Week.
“So now I think it’s having the opportunity to be able to develop our skills. It sounds quite simple, but in motorsport, we all know how expensive it is to test and train and to get that experience. And the championship where it’s equal has just shown what we can do when we have that opportunity.”
Getting to the Track Sustainably
- Blow to airline environmental claims as Virgin Atlantic’s first transatlantic sustainable aviation fuel ad banned (Sky News)
- Air New Zealand becomes first major airline to scrap its 2030 climate goal (CNBC)
- US production capacity for SAF to grow, says the EIA (Biofuels International)
- Toyota launches hydrogen fuel cell truck pilot programme with Coca-Cola and Air Liquide (Freight Carbon Zero)
- Mercedes-Benz Trucks completes 45-day eActros 600 European Testing Tour (Freight Carbon Zero)
- Wireless EV charging record set with Porsche Taycan prototype (Green Car Reports)
Author: Mark Boudreau
Mark is the publisher of Motorsport Prospects. As a former lawyer, he applies his legal background and research skills to assist race drivers by showcasing the resources they need to make their motorsport careers happen.
