The Sustainable Motorsport Round-Up for January 29, 2022 – Sustainability in Diriyah and More

The Sustainable Motorsport Round-Up for January 29, 2022 - Sustainability in Diriyah and More
Sam Bird (GBR), Jaguar TCS Racing, Jaguar I-TYPE 5

One of the most important things that I have learned about sustainability in general and sustainable motorsport in particular is that it is a journey. Nothing will ever be fully 100% sustainable but the journey to limit and if possible eliminate our impact on the natural world is an ongoing one. Just because we have not reached our destination yet does not mean we should not try.

Here are some signposts on the journey towards sustainable motorsport that I have encountered in the last week.

  • With the Diriyah E-Prix happening this week, Arab News talked to Formula E sustainability director Julia Palle about how the event is embracing sustainability. “Palle pointed out that every aspect of the Diriyah E-Prix had a sustainability obligation, from VIP hospitality areas to the stands and waste recycling outlets.” She also discusses how next year’s Gen3 cars, and Formula E in general, are moving the series towards an even more sustainable and exciting future.
  • Continuing with Formula E, Autosport has a great piece on series partner Bosch technology and how they strike the perfect balance between power and efficiency in Formula E.
  • With Formula E following the battery electric route, Formula 1 is going the sustainable fuels route. While F1 cars will be powered by 100% sustainable fuels in 2026, in 2022 all teams will have to use E10 fuel featuring at least a 10% bio component. According to Ferrari, this new F1 fuel will cost teams 20hp in 2022.
  • As F1 renews their contract with Singapore Grand Prix organizers for a further 7 years, the contract contains some very specific requirements related to sustainability, language that would have been unthinkable 10 years ago.
    • The events will switch to renewable energy sources and focus on recycling.
    • Singapore will conduct a sustainability audit to ensure it’s following Formula 1’s sustainability goals — Formula 1 aims to be net zero carbon by 2030.
    • The hosts said they will also focus on community relations, diversity, and health and safety.
The Sustainable Motorsport Round-Up for January 29, 2022 - Sustainability in Diriyah and More
  • Porsche have begun testing their new 2023 LMDh (GTP) car and have released details of the engine configuration that they will be using. Thomas Laudenbach, Vice President Porsche Motorsport: “We decided on the V8-biturbo, which we feel offers the best combination of performance characteristics, weight and costs. The kick-off to the active test programme was an important step for the project.” The powerful engine is designed to run on renewable fuels, which means a significant reduction in CO2 emissions. In the race, the system output of the hybrid drive reaches around 500 kW (680 PS).
  • Speaking of Porsche, Top Gear has a great review of the Porsche Mission R concept. Is this 1,000bhp electric concept the future of racing? Watch the video below and find out.
The Sustainable Motorsport Round-Up for January 29, 2022 - Sustainability in Diriyah and More
  • Hiroshi Aoyama is looking to launch a MotoE team to support Asian riders. “As you have seen, Asian riders recently started coming to Europe and taking part in the world championship races one after another. On the other hand, unfortunately, the number of seats available for them in the world championships is quite limited currently. Therefore, after just a few years’ participation, some riders had to give up fighting in the world championship and go back to their home countries. It always feels like a great pity to me that they had to miss their opportunities and let their experiences go. If there were some more seats available for them in some classes and they were able to remain in the world championships, they can stay in Europe and keep on improving their skills by fighting with top riders. Although MotoE is a World Cup, subsidiary to the world championships in the regulation, it is almost similar to them in effect. That is the reason why I had an idea to organize a brand-new team in MotoE alongside Honda Team Asia.”

That is it for this week’s Sustainable Motorsport Round-Up. I am off to enjoy the Diriyah E-Prix. Stay safe everyone!

Mark Boudreau
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.