Racing into the Future

The world is in the infancy of a global transition away from fossil fuel-powered vehicles to alternative fuels. Electric-powered vehicles, biodiesel-powered vehicles, and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles have all proven to be viable substitutes. This transition is vital because the global transportation sector depends on fossil-fuel-powered vehicles to support the world's economies. The consequences of this dependence on fossil fuels propels the transportation sector to account for 15% of global CO2 emissions. It is a necessity to make the switch to alternative power sources and reduce the amount of CO2 emissions wherever possible. However, this puts certain sports in a bind, uncertain of their future in a sustainability- focused world. Motorsports like Formula 1, Indy Car, and NASCAR all rely on fossil fuels to provide high octane entertainment to billions of fans worldwide. But how can they continue in a world where combustion engines may eventually be a thing of the past?

Adaptating to a changing world is a necessity for any business, and motorsports are a global business. Formula (open-wheel) racing is the most popular motorsport in the world. Two of its championships (Formula 2 and Formula 3) are leading a charge to usher motorsports into a new age. F2 and F3 have recently announced that their race cars will run on 55% sustainable fuel for the 2023 season, with the amount incrementally increasing every season to eventually reach 100% by 2027. Since the regulations require engine specifications to be uniform across all competitors for F2 and F3, the transition is much more straightforward. Formula 1, the largest motorsport in the world, is planning to follow suit but will wait until 2026 when the new engine regulations are introduced. The transition to sustainable fuel is a savvy idea that may sustain the sport for the long foreseeable future.

The change is wonderful, but what is meant by “sustainable fuel?”

Saudi Arabian Oil Company (Aramco) is the world's largest oil producer and a global partner for Formula 1. Aramco has recently started a new collaboration with Spanish integrated energy company, Repsol, to build a 10-MW green-hydrogen plant at their refinery facility in Bilbao, Spain. There, Repsol’s TechLab and Aramco will upscale new catalysts and reactor concepts for the direct transformation of CO2 into e-fuels originally developed by King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST). These concepts show that under the right conditions and with a catalyst, hydrogen can react with CO2 to produce a renewable methanol. The cooperative will capture CO2 emissions produced at the refinery and green hydrogen created from renewable electricity and water as the raw materials for the e-fuel. They will then upscale the process to sustain the 61 race car teams across all three levels. The bold initiative is slated to produce 3.6 million gallons of e-fuel that can be utilized in internal combustion engines (ICE).

Formula Motorsport Limited (FML), the governing body of Formula 1, Formula 2, and Formula 3, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Aramco to pre-screen and phase in the use of this sustainable fuel effective 2023. This is a great sign of things to come and sets a superb precedent for investing in sustainable technologies and innovations in the future.

The world is in the infancy of a global transition away from fossil fuel-powered vehicles to alternative fuels. Electric-powered vehicles, biodiesel-powered vehicles, and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles have all proven to be viable substitutes. This transition is vital because the global transportation sector depends on fossil-fuel-powered vehicles to support the world's economies. The consequences of this dependence on fossil fuels propels the transportation sector to account for 15% of global CO2 emissions. It is a necessity to make the switch to alternative power sources and reduce the amount of CO2 emissions wherever possible. However, this puts certain sports in a bind, uncertain of their future in a sustainability- focused world. Motorsports like Formula 1, Indy Car, and NASCAR all rely on fossil fuels to provide high octane entertainment to billions of fans worldwide. But how can they continue in a world where combustion engines may eventually be a thing of the past?

Adapting to a changing world is a necessity for any business, and motorsports are a global business. Formula (open-wheel) racing is the most popular motorsport in the world. Two of its championships (Formula 2 and Formula 3) are leading a charge to usher motorsports into a new age. F2 and F3 have recently announced that their race cars will run on 55% sustainable fuel for the 2023 season, with the amount incrementally increasing every season to eventually reach 100% by 2027. Since the regulations require engine specifications to be uniform across all competitors for F2 and F3, the transition is much more straightforward. Formula 1, the largest motorsport in the world, is planning to follow suit but will wait until 2026 when the new engine regulations are introduced. The transition to sustainable fuel is a savvy idea that may sustain the sport for the long foreseeable future.