It is still early day for the FIA and ACO’s final hydrogen regulations and this week in the Sustainable Motorsport Roundup you will find an update on the progress so far. I also have details on Ligier’s stance on hydrogen in motorsport, an update on Formula E’s Fast Charge technology and IMSA’s partnership with the EPA.
Sustainable Motorsport News
Chief Technical and Safety Officer Xavier Mestelan-Pinon admits the process of drawing up the technical regulations for the FIA World Endurance Championship’s future hydrogen category is still “in the very beginning” according to Sportscar365.
Mestelan-Pinon admitted that progress on the rules has been limited as the FIA seeks to first establish a general framework for hydrogen power that would be used by all championships under its umbrella, not just the WEC. “We are working on the general regulations regarding the usage of hydrogen, including all the safety guidelines,” said Mestelan-Pinon. “These regulations will be used in all our championships, although the first application will be the WEC.”
Read more at Sportscar365.
One of the seminars at this year’s World Motorsport Symposium will be titled “Speed with Sustainability – Redefining Motorsport Technology” with Ulrich Baretzky and Pat Symonds acting as chairmen.
The seminar will also feature:
- Dr Valeria Loreti, Delivery Manager Motorsport Fuels Technology Group, Shell Global Solutions GmbH
- Thierry Bouvet ACO, Competition Director
- Pascal Vasselon, Vice President, Strategic Motorsport Development, Toyota Gazoo Racing
- David Salters President, Honda Racing Corporation USA
- Alex Summers Prototype Design & BIW Manager Aston Martin Lagonda
- Neil Ashton WW Tech Leader for CAE Amazon Web Services (AWS)
Find out more here.
The October 2024 issue of PMW magazine features some interesting sustainable motorsport-focused articles including:
- TECH INSIDER: NASCAR EV: Even stock car racing recognizes that electrification is at least part of the future. PMW dives into the details of its EV prototype.
- TECH INSIDER: EXTREME H: Alejandro Agag hopes to continue his drive toward emissions-free motorsport with the development of the Pioneer 25 hydrogen-fueled off-road racer.
- TECH INSIDER: INDYCAR HYBRID : The USA’s premier single-seat formula has taken a different approach from its peers when it comes to hybridization. Gemma Hatton investigates.
October 2024 issue is now available online!
Formula E launches its new sustainability education program, Driving Force, at the International School of Monaco. The initiative builds on sustainability and community engagement activations delivered in alignment to the 2025 Monaco E-Prix.
Julia Pallé, VP of Sustainability, Formula E, said: “We’re delighted to launch the first modules of Driving Force alongside the International School of Monaco. It is a perfect alignment, since not only is Monaco the spiritual home of motorsport, but as a Principality it is taking ambitious steps to be more sustainable. The children who are partaking in the Driving Force programme will be able to understand and learn more about the planet, ways in which they can better care for the environment and social issues too, laying the foundations for a more sustainable future.”
Sustainable Motorsport Tech
Formula E’s Attack Charge concept will finally be trialled in a mock race during pre-season testing next month, with the FIA claiming the “technology is working” reports Autosport. The concept, where drivers would be required to pit during a race for approximately 30 seconds and receive a charge of power equal to 10% of the battery, was initially slated for the start of the Gen3 era in 2023.
Read more about the plans for the technology here.
On October 1, 2024, during the fourth edition of the “Hydrogen Business for Climate” Forum in Montbéliard, organized by the Pôle Véhicule du Futur, Richard Tur, Chief Operating Officer of Ligier Automotive, participated in a panel discussion entitled “Motorsport Speeds Up on Hydrogen”. This event provided an opportunity to reaffirm Ligier Automotive’s commitment to developing innovative solutions around hydrogen, a major strategic priority for the French manufacturer and the future of motorsport.
You can find more information about Ligier’s approach to hydrogen here and watch the panel discussion (in French) in the video above.
Sustainable Racing
Carbon Positive Motorsport have published two updates on how they are helping rallying in the UK become more sustainable.
The first explains their ongoing commitment in supporting Junior Rallycross. Carbon Positive Motorsport provides carbon offsetting for the Junior Rallycross Championship, ensuring the emissions generated throughout their racing are offset, planting a significant number of trees to contribute positively to the environment.
“We are proud to have Carbon Positive Motorsport’s continued support for the Motorsport UK Swift Junior Rallycross Championship,” says Championship organiser Peter Gwynne. “This is a brilliant opportunity to raise awareness of the importance of sustainability for the future of motorsport in our young drivers, right at the very start of their competitive career.”
The second is their work with Rali Ceredigion. The event has prioritized sustainability, winning the FIA’s two-star environmental accreditation in 2023, and achieving the highest known level of carbon offsetting of any rally in the world in 2024.
You can find more information about Carbon Positive Motorsport in their listing in the Motorsport Prospects Directory here.
Series News
IMSA
IMSA President John Doonan has reiterated the series’ commitment to sustainability as the series has extended their co-sponsorship agreement with the Environmental Protection Agency and their Green Racing protocols.
Green Racing is a philosophy that uses motorsports competition to develop and demonstrate more fuel efficient and environmentally friendly vehicle designs, technologies and fuels that can be used in consumer vehicles while helping to create a sustainable future.
Green Racing uses vehicle competitions to promote and accelerate the use of advanced technologies and renewable fuels. This results in increased availability and acceptance of cleaner and more efficient vehicles in the marketplace worldwide.
IMSA is currently the only sanctioning body in North America to operate under these guidelines.
You can find out more about the Green Racing protocols and the co-sponsorship agreement here.
Formula E
The Forest Road Company, a Los Angeles-based investment firm, through funds managed by Forest Road Asset Management, has acquired 100% of the ERT Formula E team. The team is rebranding as Kiro Race Co and is thrilled to enter Season 11 of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship (the “Championship”) with a change in ownership and vision, marking a new chapter in its history.
Alex Hui, Team Principal of Kiro Race Co: “This is truly a historic moment for our team. Bringing a US-based asset management group like Forest Road into Formula E is a testament to the series’ growth and our team’s potential. Their investment allows us to build with confidence for the future and compete at the highest level. We are excited to work with them and Porsche Motorsport to achieve our goals.”
Jeremy Tarica, Managing Director of Forest Road: “We are thrilled to enter The Formula E World Championship and start our journey as Kiro Race Co. The Championship is at a pivotal moment of maturation from a macro and micro perspective. As the world embarks on a massive transition to electric vehicles, the race product has achieved a significant breakthrough in technology with the fastest accelerating single-seater cars. We are committed to helping Kiro become a leading force in the industry.”
Full details here.
The Nissan Formula E Team has announced a four-year global partnership with Petromin Corporation, a leading mobility solutions provider in the Middle East. The partnership will be primarily focused on the company’s EV charging subsidiary, Electromin, as the business looks ahead to a wider adoption of electric mobility in the region.
More details here.
Formula E is once again facing an enforced two-month break in its schedule having not managed to replace its planned 2025 race in the Thai city of Chiang Mai. The scheduled date between the Jeddah and Homestead races in February and April was never officially confirmed as being intended for Thailand and was left as a ‘to be confirmed’ slot on the 2024-25 calendar for March 8.
Sam Smith of The Race looks at why this is not an ideal situation for a series that has been trying to firm up their calendar going forward.
Getting to the Track Sustainably
- $30,000 Tesla Cybercab due “before 2027,” Robovan concept seats 20 (Green Car Reports)
- Alpine’s New Supercar Could Be All-Electric (Robb Report)
- The All-New Porsche Macan 4 Electric and Taycan Set the Standard for Electric Performance (Esquire)
- Honda Is Already Testing a Manual Transmission for EVs (The Drive)
- Honda EVs Will Get Selectable ‘Engine’ Sounds Including S2000, F1 Car, and HondaJet (The Drive)
- Review: Is Chevrolet’s hybrid Corvette brilliant or bizarre? (Torque Cafe)
- Ecojet to Procure 22 Hydrogen-Electric Engines from ZeroAvia (HYSKY)
- Heart Aerospace Partners with Air Canada and Saab to Develop Hydrogen-Ready Electric Aircraft (HYSKY)
- Tweed New Haven Airport Becomes First in the U.S. to Test NASA Hydrogen-Electric Aircraft (HYSKY)
- Simply Blue Group to develop major SAF hub in Canada (Biofuels International)
- Haffner Energy creates SAF Zero spin-off (Biofuels International)
- Infinium and Twelve raise a total of up to $1.7 billion towards eSAF production (Green Air News)
- Sabre and Google team up for pilot program with goal of reducing environmental impact of business travel (Sabre)
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.
