Formula 1 has announced that the sport will become carbon neutral by 2030. The sport ultimately aims to completely eliminate all carbon emissions not only from the activity on the race tracks but also those emerging from its transporting its staff and equipment over road and air transport to reach them to its racing events.

F1 said that it will “move to ultra-efficient logistics and travel and 100% renewably powered offices, facilities and factories” and offset emissions that will not be possible to be eliminated.

Carbon-reduction projects would be started immediately, F1 said, as its first step towards achieving the target. All of its events would be made sustainable by 2025 and the measures will include removing all single use plastic and reuse, recycling or composting of all plastic waste.

The presence of at least 10 per cent of biofuel will be used in the petrol used in F1 which would be made a rule by it starting 2021.

In terms of the percentage of fuel energy that is converted into power, which is referred to as thermal efficiency, the most efficient car engines in the world are the high-tech turbo hybrid power-units that are used to power F1 cars since 2014. While the typically used road-car petrol engines have a thermal efficiency generally in the region of 30 per cent while the F1 engines have a thermal efficiency rating around 50 per cent.

While the present engines that are used in F1 are set to be in use till be the end of 2025, the F1 will also seek ways to make sure that whatever specification of engine that would be used from starting 2026 will also be better in terms of efficiency.

F1 hoped to work with the automotive industry to apply the lessons of F1’s engines to create “the world’s first net-zero carbon hybrid internal combustion engine”, the sport’s owners added.

And even though F1 has not yet initiated any in-depth conversations with road-car manufacturers on this aspect, the owner will concentrate on the development of synthetic fuels which are derived from carbon captured from the air, farm waste or biomass.

A plan that will help F1 to have a net-zero carbon footprint “after 12 months of intense work with motorsport’s governing body the FIA, sustainability experts, F1 teams, promoters and partners”, it said.

Success of the carbon neutral plan however depends on the help and active participation of the teams, some of which have more than 1,000 people for the designing, developing, building and racing the cars which sometimes participate in more than 20 grands prix every year.

“Over its 70-year history, F1 has pioneered numerous technologies and innovations that have positively contributed to society and helped to combat carbon emissions. From ground-breaking aerodynamics to improved brake designs, the progress led by F1 teams has benefited hundreds of millions of cars on the road today,” said Chase Carey, the chairman and chief executive of F1.

“Few people know that the current F1 hybrid power unit is the most efficient in the world, delivering more power using less fuel, and hence CO2, than any other car. We believe F1 can continue to be a leader for the auto industry and work with the energy and automotive sector to deliver the world’s first net-zero carbon hybrid internal combustion engine that hugely reduces carbon emissions around the world,” Carey added.

(Adapted from BBC.com)

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